Forgotten Memories
by ShadowGUN101
Summary: Bakura is captured by the Royal guard...Only to end up not remembering anything of his past. Will he strive to regain what he has lost or will he find something even better along the way? Citronshipping (Thief King Bakura X Marik) AU
1. Chapter 1

"Damn it." Bakura muttered as he was thrown to the ground, several men holding him down with his arms forcefully pulled behind his back. They made quick work of binding him before he was brought to kneel before their leader.

"So I've finally caught you Bakura." A tall man with blue-eyes smirked mockingly.

"Seto." Bakura greeted through clenched teeth as his head was pulled back forcing him to face the brunette. "It's been a while…." He laughed.

"I'm tired of playing your games…" Seto glared at the silver-haired man.

"Oh?" Bakura asked mockingly. "His Lordship wasn't entertained? I thought that you'd like this sort of thing."

"You call threatening the Pharoah's life entertaining?" Seto seethed. "You have no idea how much trouble you've caused."

"Nor do I care." Bakura muttered boredly. "I'm simply stating facts here, I will kill him…It's only a matter of time."

"You're delusional." Seto called as he turned, signaling the guards to follow him.

"Say what you will Priest…My people shall be avenged." Bakura glared at the man's back.

Seto sighed as he looked up at the moon. "Even so…." Seto looked down at the light purple colored sand. "I can't allow you to threaten and harm his Majesty." He stated as he led the way towards the castle dragging the thief behind them.

He sighed as his golden slippers slid across the sand, making small dips and turns in the sand as it created a pathway towards the home of his nemesis.

* * *

"Marik be careful…" Isis called to her younger brother as he climbed up one of the palace walls. "We're not even supposed to be out here. We'll get in big trouble if someone catches us."

"Oh Relax, what's the worst they can do? Throw us back underground." The blonde laughed as he lifted himself up onto the ledge.

"I suppose." Isis answered unsurely. "I still think this is a bad idea."

"Besides…It won't be too much longer that we can have adventures like this." Marik turned, crouching down and offering his hand to his sister.

Isis nodded taking his hand as she gathered her footing on the wall and in a matter of seconds she was seated next to him.

"I'm going to miss you." She cried as she grabbed him into a hug nearly squeezing the life out of him.

"I know…" He whispered in her ear as he patted her on the back signaling her to ease her grip. "I'm going to miss you too." He laughed as he ran his hands through her raven hair, slowly calming her as he pulled away.

"Promise me…" He muttered as strong amethyst looked into soft sapphire. "Promise to visit me when you can." He smiled softly, holding out his pinky finger.

Isis smiled as she brought her pinky and clasped it onto his. "I Promise."

"Good." He laughed as he turned his gaze towards the palace.

_It's so beautiful….._

"Marik?" Isis asked.

"Yeah…" He muttered as he looked back at her.

"Are you going to be alright in that tomb alone?" she asked hesitation in her voice.

"I'll be fine…" he laughed as he smiled, tilting his head to the side like a small child reassuring their parents. "It's you I'm worried about….you'll be stuck here all day with Priest Seto." He joked.

"The man is a workaholic…" Isis sighed. "Not to mention OCD…he is soo damn paranoid." She added as she ran a hand through her hair.

"As long as you don't set off his traps, you should be alright." He laughed.

"Oh, Ra….I completely forgot about those." She groaned.

Marik laughed as he looked up at the sky as it was slowly turning from a dark purple into a slight pinkish orange. It was a new day and it was the day that his sister would become a Priestess. He smiled sadly as he looked down towards his lap as his hands fidgeted with the fringe of his robe. He was already starting to miss her…and she hadn't even left yet.

* * *

"Your highness…I've brought you the Thief King." Seto called as he bowed before his king.

"Very Well, Seto….Bring him in."

"Yes, My lord." He nodded as he stood and clapped his hands. "Bring in the prisoner."

Slowly the doors slid open as several guards dragged a kicking and struggling thief.

"Let Me Go…You Imbeciles." The thief called as he continued to flail and swing his body in an attempt to make this as difficult as he could for the men, before being unceremoniously thrown before the throne.

"Bakura." A regal voice echoed throughout the room, snapping the silver-haired man out of his fit.

"Well….if it isn't the Pharaoh." Bakura sneered as he was roughly grabbed by his hair, gritting his teeth as his head was pulled back, forcing him to look directly at the young prince.

"Don't speak to your ruler with such contempt." One of the guards called as he felt one of them kick at his bound hands, making him hiss in pain.

"Enough." Atem spoke with a tone that emanated power.

"Bakura, I cannot stand for this anymore. You've terrorized and threatened this entire kingdom for years. Now you've even begun threatening my life and in doing so you've threatened the destruction of this very nation."

The king spoke solemnly as he made his way down off his throne, his steps making a loud clicking noise as he came to stand before the bound man.

"You say this in the name of revenge. Revenge for your people, who were wrongly massacred under my father's rule….and for that I'm truly sorry." Atem spoke as he kneeled down to be eye level with the Thief King.

Bakura's eyes widened as he watched the man kneel beside him, he automatically cringed away in disgust.

"I see…" Atem murmured as he looked deep into the thief's harsh gray-eyes. He could see that the other was lost in his anger, grief and fear. The Pharaoh nodded as he slowly lifted his hand to the thief's forehead, pressing his hand against it lightly.

Before he had any time to react Bakura's body froze. Inwardly panicking the thief struggled to move as he glared at the king. "Release me at once…" he ground out.

"Relax…" The king ordered as the object around his neck began to glow, adding power to his words as Bakura's body and mind immediately relaxed. His harsh features smoothed out as his eyes became a darker gray as his mind became numb.

"What are you doing to me?" Bakura asked confused as his mind slowly felt fuzzy.

"I'm making it so you will no longer be plagued by this….not anymore." He stated as Bakura's forehead began to glow and in a matter of moments the Thief King slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Slowly Atem stood up as he looked down at the man's crumpled body on the floor, he had a look of contemplation before nodding his head in decision. "Seto….you know what to do."

"Yes, Your Highness." The man bowed.

* * *

**So yeah...Starting off the new year with some Citron...This'll be interesting. ^^; (In A good way I hope.)**

**This one is gonna be AU (As if you couldn't tell that already! XD ). Although this is not a sequel...the characters will continue to carry on quirks that they have in my Other Story Answers In Time. (Such as Seto setting random traps and so on...) However this is a stand-alone fic and reading the aforementioned story isn't necessary. (Though it would be greatly appreciated if you haven't already read it. :D )**

**Alright, So Seto actually captured Bakura! (It's about time! XD)**

**Marik and Isis are really related in this galaxy far (or not so) far away.**

**And apparently Bakura technically got mind crushed at the end there. (Poor Bakura...How I torture him so. *plotting* XD)**

**To See More of this New Epic Tale...Tune in Next time on Forgotten Memories.**

**Please Comment...They are my butterflies of eternal sunshine. :D Also if you've got a suggestion or an idea...I might even incorporate it into the story somehow. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

"Auuuuggggh" Bakura groaned as he brought a hand to his head, seemingly grasping his hair and releasing it a few times to try to relieve his pounding headache. He sighed as he gave up, figuring that the pain wasn't going to leave him anytime soon he slowly opened his eyes.

Darkness meeting his gaze as he slowly looked around until he spotted a dimly lit torch, just a touch down the long corridor. He blinked as he took in his surroundings. It seemed that he was in a dungeon of sorts…if the metal bars before him was anything to go by.

Suddenly he gasped as something furry went across his hand. He immediately jerked back, knocking his head against the wall that he was leaning against.

"Shit.." He cursed as he grabbed the back of his head, scrunching up his body from the pain. "That hurt." He squeaked out before moving a little bit away from the wall before hearing a slight purring sound.

He reopened his eyes, scanning the cell before he caught sight of green glowing eyes staring back at him.

"Mreow." The troublesome feline called as it slowly made its way back towards the Silver-haired boy.

"So you're what scared me?" He laughed before bringing his hand before the cat, coaxing it over to him.

The cat sniffed the man's hand before moving its lithe body underneath it, signaling him to pet her.

He laughed as he stroked the cat's head making her purr.

_I wonder why I'm in a place like this… _

He thought as he slowly stood and walked towards the metal bars, grasping them slightly.

The feel of the cold, somewhat rusted bars made him immediately cringe away in disgust. He absolutely hated being trapped in confined spaces. He looked back towards the other three walls that surrounded him….he wasn't pleased to find under further inspection, that they seemed to have no weakness in them at all. He scowled as his eyes blazed with determination….somehow someway he was going to escape this prison.

* * *

"FELIX!" Marik called as he ran throughout his underground home. He would never hear the end of it from Isis if she came to visit only to find that he had lost the small black cat the day she left.

"FELIX! Here Kitty." He yelled as he searched every room. He looked through every nook and cranny before sighing in defeat.

"Where would that cat have gone?" He wondered as he brought his hand to his chin in thought.

Surely the cat wouldn't have gotten far…There was only so many places it could go. After all they were both trapped underground at the moment and there was only one exit….unless.

"Oh No!" Marik shouted as his eyes widened.

He quickly ran towards the deepest part of the chambers and headed down a rather long and dark corridor. His tan robes swishing as he made his way through the caverns until he could see a rather dim looking light.

* * *

"Isis…It's an honor to finally meet you." The Pharaoh smiled as he made his way towards the woman grabbing her into a friendly hug.

"Your Majesty?!" She exclaimed puzzled and surprised by the unexpected greeting.

"Don't be so shy Isis. We're all family here." Atem smiled as he released her stepping back a few paces.

She nodded and returned with a smile of her own. "Thank you very much my King."

"I do hope that you become quite comfortable living here, I know it's very different from home but I'm sure that after a little bit of time you'll get used to it." He stated as he turned away from her, his cape swishing behind him in dramatic fashion as he made his way back towards his throne.

"Priest Seto." He called as he sat upon the golden chair.

Immediately after being summoned the tall man with brown hair and blue eyes entered the room, kneeling before his lordship.

"You called, Sir." The man spoke before raising his head and standing again.

"Yes…Please give our new Priestess a tour of the palace, make sure that she feels welcome and as comfortable as possible."

"Right Away…" The Priest answered as he turned and walked towards the dark-haired woman.

He smiled softly as he offered his hand to her. She smiled back before taking his hand and being led away from the throne room.

* * *

Bakura seethed as he grabbed at his hair. He had been trying for what he could only guess was hours attempting to escape the insufferable small space.

"Why do these things have to be so sturdy?" He asked as he pulled at the bars in front of him jerking his body back in forth like a crazed person, his eyes full of panic each time the bars failed to move.

He eventually stopped as he slung to the floor, panting for air, exhausted from the tiresome effort he was putting into what seemed to be a hopeless endeavor.

"Mrraw." The cat yawned seemingly unimpressed with the show before it.

Bakura turned and stalked towards the dark feline, Blazing fury met unwavering boredom as the two stared at each other.

"I don't see you putting in any effort here." Bakura hissed.

The cat merely stared at him a few seconds longer before standing up and turning around, apparently deciding that the wall was more entertaining.

"Fine…Don't help." Bakura muttered. "Don't expect me to pet you anytime soon." He scowled as he returned his attention to the task at hand.

* * *

As Marik came closer to the dimly lit walkway, he stopped running and began to walk. He had to be cautious in a place like this….no telling what or who was locked up down here. Oh why did his cat have to be the curious type?

The blonde man sighed with relief as he found the cells that he passed by to be empty. At least there seemed to be no sign of danger. That was until he heard a slight jingling sound, like metal being jerked back and forth. Marik froze momentarily before talking a deep breath, slowly approaching the noise until it suddenly stopped. Instead it was replaced by a voice….someone was down here? Curious, he continued to move closer, the voice getting louder.

"Fine…Don't help." The deep voice spat as footsteps echoed before he saw hands reach out of a cell just a few feet away from him. The hands slowly gripped the bars before he heard a distinct. "Mrrraaawww." Followed by the sound of soft padded paws moving across the floor.

"Hey….Where do you think you're going?" The deep voice called, The cat sliding its way through the bars and turned towards the blonde.

"FELIX!" Marik exclaimed as he ran towards the ebony cat and scooping her up into his arms. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Mreow." The cat purred as she pushed away from the boy's chest, looking at the cell. Marik blinked his eyes a few times in confusion, wondering why the cat was acting strange. Noticing her gaze he followed, turning his head slightly to the right to see a pair of gray eyes staring at him with a mixture of curiosity and hope.

"Did you make a new friend Felix?" he laughed as the cat jumped out of his arms, running towards the gray-eyed man.

Bakura stared at the cat wide-eyed a moment before patting her on the head.

"She seems to have taken a liking to you." He laughed as he watched the stranger. "You must be a very special person…she doesn't usually like strangers."He smiled as he crouched down closer to the bars.

"May I ask your name?" The blonde asked curiously.

The man blinked a few times as he ran his free hand through his silver locks, as if contemplating the question. His eyes darted across the floor as if looking for the answer that he was unable to come up with. He sighed in defeat as he looked at the other boy before muttering.

"I don't remember."

Marik laughed, Surely the man was joking. "Alright you got me…Seriously what is it?"

"I really don't know." The boy stated, shaking his head in shock. "I can't remember anything."

Marik stared at the man suspiciously before looking the man in the eyes. "Really?"

"Yes….Really." the man said his gaze never wavering away from the bright amethyst. "I don't even know why I'm here."

Suddenly a loud creaking could be heard throughout the cavern. It was a sound that Marik was familiar with…it was the sound of the dungeon's entrance opening. He had to think fast…it was only a matter of time before someone saw him down there.

"Felix come…" He whispered gesturing for the cat.

The ebony beauty only stared at him before shaking her head, looking up at the strange man with no memory.

"You can't be serious." He hissed as quietly as possible.

The cat only stared at him with a bored expression. Yes, she was entirely serious.

Marik quickly moved to pick the lock, pulling out a small dagger from his robe and started twisting and turning the blade until he heard a definite click and slowly moving the barred doorway slightly, motioning the man to come.

Bakura blinked a few times in confusion. Why was this stranger helping him?

"Come on…" Marik gestured. "Follow me."

Bakura didn't have to be told twice as he slipped through the doorway, Felix following closely behind him as they followed the blonde deeper into the dark corridor.

* * *

"And this is the dungeon…This is where we keep our prisoners whether they are being punished or are awaiting judgment." Seto explained as he guided Isis through the dark space.

"It is our duty to ensure that everyone is judged fairly according to their crimes…this is why we use the Millennium Items in doing so. They are to help us search through ones soul to see what must be done as punishment."

Isis nodded as she looked down at the Millennium Necklace, it glowed in the darkness making her feel a little comfort amongst the creepy dark and dank dungeon.

"We currently only have one resident down here at the moment….he has already undergone judgment by the pharaoh himself and will be released after he recovers." Seto continued as he made his way towards a particular cell.

"In fact you may even recognize him…" The brunette laughed as he grabbed a nearby torch and approached the cell with caution.

"Hey Bakura, are you awake yet?" He called as he took in the cell before him. His eyes widened, perplexed by the lack of body. He then moved down the long corridor until the end, looking for the man in a panic.

"Seto…Is something wrong?" Isis asked, concern written on her features as he ignored her focusing on locating the Thief King.

_This is not good….This is not good._

He chanted in his mind as each cell he came to was filled with the same emptiness.

_I know I put him right here._

He thought as he stared at the chamber, grabbing the bars until it moved slightly when he moved his hand. Someone had picked the lock.

"I must report this to his Majesty immediately." Seto said in a rush, running to the exit with a very worried looking Isis running after him.

* * *

**Isis is now officially a Priestess...**

**Marik has a pet cat... and has thus met Bakura! Yay! **

**I have a feeling that Felix always gets what she wants. :D**

**What will Seto and the Pharaoh do now?**

**What will become of Marik and Bakura?**

**Tune in next time in Ch. 3 Of Forgotten Memories. **

**Please leave comments they are the wind beneath my wings. Seriously please tell me what ya think. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Atem laid down on his bed, exhausted. He had never felt so tired in his life; apparently wiping the Thief's memory had taken more energy from him than he had thought. He sighed; He supposed that would make sense since the Thief's memories were filled with such horrendous images and strong emotions that flowed through each of them. He shuddered, remembering watching Bakura's memories play before his eyes as he absorbed them all before he could lock them away within the confines of the Puzzle.

He turned to his side, looking at the balcony and out at the sky. This plan of his had to work for everyone's sake. As the ruler it was his duty to ensure the safety and peace of mind of his people.

"Bakura….." Atem mumbled with a pained expression, as the moon rose covering the palace with it's beautiful light. It was only a matter of time now until his plan would start propelling itself forward.

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?" The blonde asked curiously as he stared upward at the former prisoner. The stranger had managed to climb up to the skylight that allowed the bright moonlight through as it reflected off the bars.

"What is with these people and metal bars?" The man huffed as he tugged on them even going as far as to hang off of them as if they were a jungle-gym.

"Get down from there before you hurt yourself." The blonde called. "Come down here."

The man immediately let go of the bars and landed smoothly beside the blonde, his red robe flowing down slowly as if trying to catch up to speed.

"Well what's your plan for getting us out of here?" Gray-eyes glared at the blonde.

"Oh no…" The blonde shook his head. "We're not going anywhere. I'm already going to be in huge trouble…if I go up on the surface. It'll be begging to get caught….So we're going to stay right here for the time being."

Bakura glared at him before he walked up to the blonde and hissed. "I've just traded one prison for another….is that what you're telling me?" The silver haired man grabbed the blonde's tan robes, lifting him up from the floor to be eye level. Amethyst met striking Gray as they stared each other down for a moment. The two's gazes never wavered not even for a moment, showing that neither one of them was going to back down. Seeing as this was getting him nowhere Bakura released the blonde and turned to look over at the wall.

"Fine…Have it your way." Bakura muttered. "Not that I would know where to go after I got out of here anyway." He sighed as he walked over to a wall and slunk down to the floor with a soft thud.

"You really don't remember anything do you?" The blonde asked as he took a seat next to him.

The man shook his head never moving his gaze from the floor.

"That's alright." The blonde laughed causing the Silver-haired man to look up at him.

"What?"

"You can always stay with me until you get your memory back." He smiled as he reached an arm around the other boy's shoulders.

The man sputtered out of the other's reach, his face a light shade of pink. "Why would you help me? You don't even know me!"

The blonde laughed at the man's expression. This was turning out to be more interesting than it was already.

"Felix found you for a reason." He stated simply. "In this life there are no coincidences." He smirked. "Besides, who said that this help would be free of charge?...I full well expect something in return."

* * *

"YOUR MAJESTY!" Seto bellowed as he pushed the doors to the Pharaoh's chambers aside, making the King jump awake from his slumber.

"What is it Seto?" The King mumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Can't it wait until morning?" He yawned.

"I'm sorry but this is urgent, The Thief King has escaped."

Atem's eyes widened in shock before shrinking back down as the news sunk in. He smiled. This all played into his plan perfectly.

"Shall I send out the troops to find him?" Seto asked. "I've already got them up and  
ready, all you need to do is give the word and I shall retrieve him as soon as possible."

"That'll be unnecessary Seto."

"But Your Highness, Surely we cannot let him roam around Egypt unchecked. What if he starts causing trouble even without his memories?" The brunette asked, his face shrouded in panic.

"Seto, I understand your concern. However, we needn't start a panic among the people. I suggest we just act normal and show that nothing is amiss until we receive word that there is a threat to the population."

"Of Course, your Grace. However…I think tha-"

"Seto, I know that you have an unusual bond with Bakura. However you mustn't let it blind you in your duties as priest. Do I make myself clear?" Atem commanded in a stern tone.

Bright Blue-eyes widened at the tone and slowly fell to his knees. "Yes, crystal clear. Your Majesty."

"Very Well. You may now take your leave."

At this the brunette stood, never once facing his King as he exited the room.

* * *

Seto gritted his teeth as he walked down the long corridor. He absolutely hated being talked to like a small child. He hadn't been too pleased to find that Bakura had escaped but now the Pharaoh wasn't allowing him to find the lost prisoner.

The brunette couldn't help but worry about the Silver-haired boy. As much as he hated to admit it, the Thief was his friend. He had been since they were kids…no matter how hard they would go against each other in their little rivalry, It was always a game to them. Even though he lost countless times, the silver-haired boy had always encouraged him to try again. When had it all stopped being a game? That night. The night that his friend came to his shop, covered in blood with a horror filled expression etched onto his face.

Seto shook his head. He couldn't allow his memories to take hold of him now. Not when he had to investigate. The Pharaoh had brought it all up to push him back and used it as a weapon against him. Why was his King acting so heartless when he was usually so kind and understanding? Something was going on, Something his King wasn't going to tell him about, This was something that he needed to know and something he was going to find out.

"Isis." He muttered as he calmly knocked on the door before him.

"Yes." She answered as she brought the door open. "Is everything alright Seto?...You were acting worried when you rushed off earlier. I was lucky to remember which way my room was." She laughed nervously.

"I'm sorry about that." Seto muttered as he looked ashamedly down at the marble floor.

"I have a favor to ask you."

* * *

**Well, Here's Chapter 3.**

**I Hope Ya'll enjoy!**

**Ah Marik, How I love to write for thee. You with your sexy smirks and letting it all hang right there. Lmao!**

**Holy Cow O.O Seto admits to having a friend. If this isn't Valentine's Day Then I don't know what day it is. *giggle***

**What is Atem planning?**

**What will Marik want in return for helping our little amnesiac?**

**Everyone Watch Out Seto's on the Case...but what does he want with our newest Priestess?**

**For answers to these Questions and More please tune in next time for Forgotten Memories Ch. 4!**

**Happy Valentine's Day to all and to all a giant Heart from me. ^_^**

**Please read and Review...They are the candied hearts that brings tears to my eyes. (Yup, I'm cheesy and I'm Proud of it!) :D**


	4. Chapter 4

"Can you see anything?" Seto asked impatiently.

Isis sighed as she opened and narrowed her eyes. "Well, It would help if you could be quiet for a few minutes. Besides, I don't even know what this Thief King looks like. I've been living underground remember?"

Seto's eyes widened in realization.

"Right, Sorry." He sighed as took off his hat as he ran his hands through his hair.

"He wears a red robe and his hair is like that of grayed ivory."

Isis nodded as she closed her eyes as she tried to consult her item on the matter of the location of the lost man.

The item glowed for a moment as Isis focused all her attention on the colors red and silver. She searched far and wide but the necklace refused to show her any answers at all. Perhaps she hadn't gained full control of her abilities yet?

"I'm sorry Seto." She took a deep breath. "I couldn't locate him or anyone that fits that description."

"That's Odd." Seto mumbled. "The necklace never fails."

"Perhaps I'm not skilled enough with using it." Isis wondered.

"No you did well. I've seen the Pharaoh himself use it several times to locate a number of criminals. So you did everything correctly….So Why isn't it showing now?" Seto stated his teeth grit together as his fist clenched turning his knuckles white.

"Seto, Why is it so important that we find this Thief King?" Isis asked curiously.

"He's a criminal. It's as simple as that." Seto muttered avoiding her gaze.

"No, There's something more that you're not telling me. What is it?" Isis glared at him.

"I already told you." He scoffed. "He's just a criminal and it's my job to-."

"Don't you dare give me that crap." Isis yelled as she slapped the man before her. "You're lying."

Blue Irises widened as his head tilted slightly as he stumbled back trying to maintain his balance from the unexpected force of impact.

"Wha?!" He questioned as he looked at her confused.

"Now, The Truth Seto." She demanded as she took a seat on her bed, motioning for him to sit next to her. "I'll know if you're lying."

Seto chuckled as he sat down next to her, rubbing his cheek to try to rid himself of the red mark.

"Looks like you saw something after all." He muttered. "Now who's calling who the liar?"

Isis simply glared at the man, refusing to even dignify his remark with a response.

After a moment of silence she spoke, her tone was that of a calmed firmness.

"I know with whom I'm dealing with. There's something much larger going on than what you say and I want to know what the hell it is."

Seto stayed silent for a moment, blinking at her for a moment before muttering.

"I should have known." He shook his head. "There's no point in hiding anything from you anymore."

He sighed as he started to speak about the Pharaoh and how strangely his beloved leader was acting.

* * *

The two sat in complete and utter silence for the past hour.

"So, What's it going to be? Are you gonna accept my offer?" The blonde smirked, feeling rather smug about this.

"And Why should I agree to anything with you? I don't even know your name!" The white-haired boy pointed out as he slowly slid away from the blonde. His gray eyes promised danger, as if daring the other to come closer.

"My name is of no consequence. I shall help you regain your memories and in exchange you shall work for me." Marik stated in all seriousness.

"What kind of work?" the escapee asked, narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion.

"You shall become my loyal companion." The blonde declared, his eyes a brilliant amethyst that shone with nothing short of sincerity.

Bakura stared at the blonde boy. He could have sworn he had seen a hint of something else in the boy's words and a certain glint in his eyes that had suddenly disappeared from his features. At first he thought the other was joking but after a few moments of silence that hung in the air, he quickly realized that he had been quite serious.

"I'm to become your companion. That's all?" The red-robed boy asked still not completely trusting the other.

Marik laughed as he sensed the other's apprehension. "Yes, That's all. It'll get lonely down here if I'm all by myself anyways. I'll drive myself slap insane if I'm trapped down here without someone to talk to. Who knows, we might have some fun while we search for your memories."

Bakura stared at him for a moment.

"So what do you say?" the blonde asked holding out his hand for the other to take. "After all, what have you got to lose?"

"Nothing apparently." Bakura sighed as he took the other's hand shaking it in agreement.

"Good." Marik nodded smiling slightly. "You may call me Marik."

* * *

_"Do you think that having someone around will get rid of me?"_

_Shut up….You don't exist…You're just an imagined voice._

_"You think that you could use that man as your new shield. Ha, your sister hardly kept me at bay and no you're trying it with a complete stranger that could be just as much detriment to you as I am. Marik you are clearly a Fool."_

_No….Shut Up….I won't allow you to have control. Not again. Not after…that night._

Suddenly the color red completely overtook Marik's vision, Taking him to another time and place.

His hands had been stained with blood, the smell of it made him sick as the sound of dripping liquid reached his ears. It had been like this when he had come to, he had no recollection of the moments before he saw the horrible red that coated his hands as well as his clothes. Then a shriek hit his ears as he turned to see his sister standing in the corner, a look of pure horror on her face with tears at the edges of her eyes.

"W-what happened?" He had whimpered, afraid of the unknown reasons that he sat there on the cold stone floor that night.

His sister just gasped as she looked at what he could only guess was something behind him. He slowly started to turn to see what was upsetting his sister. Before he had turned around completely he was suddenly grabbed into a hug and forced to look forward again.

"Don't look…" his sister had choked out between sobs as she cradled him.

He slowly turned again feeling pulled away as Isis had refused to let him go. Urgency suddenly ran through his veins as his mind could only come up with a few possibilities of what lied behind him. He abruptly turned his body forcing himself away from her and to look directly into the face of his father, who lied dead, slumped up against a wall with a pool of blood surrounding the bearded man's body.

The blonde's mind reeled as he tried to make sense of it all. Hadn't his father been alive just a few minutes ago, standing there talking to them? What had happened?

Then he looked down at his hands and then he reached up to his face as realization made itself known in his mind. He had murdered his father. The blonde screamed as tears flowed down his cheeks, his hands running over his face, coating it too with the sinful red before he lurched forward. He coughed as the contents of his stomach emerged as he hurled onto the floor in front of him.

That was when the voice had first appeared to him.

_"Foolish man."_ It had said. _"He wanted to keep us locked up here forever. That imbecile….shall never threaten us ever again."_

_W-who are you?_

_"So you can hear me now can you?"_ It chuckled. _"Better late than never I suppose."_

_Y-You killed him._

_"Yes….We did."_

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Marik screamed as he jolted awake, tears streamed down his face as he wiped them with his arm, he grimaced at the cold clammy feel his arms had adopted from his nightmare. He sighed as he looked down towards the edge of the bed, where he noticed two gray-eyes peering over the foot of the bed up at him.

"What are you doing?" the blonde asked in a harsh whisper, glaring at the other boy.

"I'm supposed to be your loyal companion right?" The man stood, the moonlight illuminating him, as he walked around to the side of the bed and sat down beside the blonde.

"Yeah, so? What does that have anything to do with this?" Marik seethed, facing away from the robed man.

"Well, Wouldn't a companion be concerned for his partner?" The white-haired teen whispered gently as he averted his gaze to the side, a slight tint on his cheeks.

The blonde's eyes widened at the soft spoken words and turned to look over at the former prisoner. What he saw truly amazed and mesmerized him. The man sitting beside him was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. The moonlight that cascaded down through the bars caused the man's hair to become a sparkling silver that complemented his perfectly tan complexion. His robe hung open slightly, due to what Marik could only guess was rushed dressing, showing his slim build. The man looked disheveled but due to his scrappy appearance and suspicious personality seemed to suit him quite well.

Marik suddenly shook his head snapping himself out of his thoughts and averted his gaze to the side as he started to feel heat rise to his cheeks dusting them with a slight pink tone.

"I-I guess." Marik stammered as he tried to keep his voice level.

Bakura couldn't help but notice the forced voice and turned to see that the blonde was blushing as well. He smiled and slowly reached a hand around the boy's shoulders. "It'll be alright." He whispered. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

Marik slowly shook his head. Bakura nodded and turned to stand before his sleeve was grabbed, pulling him back down.

"Please…" The blonde whispered, tears started pricking the edges of his eyes again threatening to come out. "Stay…"

Bakura smiled gently at the blonde before sitting back down. As soon as he had, the blonde leaned against his chest, his eyes widened to notice that the boy was trembling. Was this because he had started to leave? Was the thought of being alone that scary to the blonde? What could it have been to have frightened the other so much that he didn't want to be left alone? Bakura shook his head and slowly started to run his hand over the boy's hair as he tried to calm the boy down.

_He's so different….earlier he acted like he was in charge of things but now…..he's so fragile like if I make a wrong move he'll shatter to pieces. Just what have I gotten myself into?_

It wasn't long after that that the two fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

"I see…" Isis muttered. "Now this makes a lot more sense."

"So will you help me?" Seto asked beseechingly.

"Seto, You must choose your own path. This connection that you have to the one called Bakura is none of my business however I suggest you continue your investigation in order to find him. I, however have a different path from you that I must follow. Aside from this, I will not assist you with this endeavor. I'm sorry Seto, But this is for the best."

Isis stated looking down into her lap before lifting her gaze to fall on the Priest.

"Don't let anyone stop you from the path you choose….No matter what." She smiled as she led him towards her door.

"I bid you good night Isis and Thanks for all that you could do." He smiled softly.

"You're welcome Seto. I'm sorry that I couldn't do more."

Seto nodded as the door softly shut behind him and so he started on his way down the long corridor.

_I will find Bakura and I will discover what befalls the Pharaoh. Those two things I am certain are connected….Now that I know Isis has something to do with it, I must continue on alone. I must find out the darkest of secrets and bring them into the light._

"I will find out, even if it means going against Atem." He whispered as he entered his room.

* * *

**Here's Chapter 4!**

**I hope you like it :D**

**Ooooohhh things just got interesting. *Plotting is afoot...Muahahaha***

**Yami Marik appears!**

**OMG...Marik had an ulterior motive. (Sort of...^^;)**

**Awwwww...and thus they fell asleep in each other's arms.**

**What's up with Isis and her Secretive self? Seto's probably all like "Damn her and her Vagueness."**

**What will Seto do now with this new information?**

**Find out! Next Time on Forgotten Memories.**

**Please Read and Review. They are the shiny stars to my cloudy and rainy nights. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Bakura stared up at the ceiling as he slowly ran his fingers through the blonde's hair, feeling each silky strand before allowing it to fall through his fingers. Marik was yet to wake up and the silver-haired boy didn't have the heart to disrupt the boy's sleep, So he had just stayed there waiting for his companion to wake up. While lying there he decided to look around the room, now that it was illuminated by sunlight.

The first thing that caught his eye was the walls, they were decorated with the most intricate designs and painted murals of what he could only guess was depictions of things that had happened. Scenes showing various kings talking to people wearing hooded robes, text and symbols that he found that he couldn't make sense of followed. He frowned slightly at the newfound discovery that he couldn't read it but after a moment shrugged it off as he noticed a table and chairs a few feet away that had been tucked into a dark corner. The silver-haired boy stared at it curiously, wondering why the table would be hidden away like that before his gaze caught sight of a torch-lit walkway that seemed to be heading deeper into the tunnel. He stared at it for a moment, he felt as if something was telling him to go that way. He felt an intense desire to learn what lay hidden in these dark caves, The thought of jewels slightly crossed his mind. Bakura blinked rather puzzled at his sudden thought before he felt the blonde start to move.

Marik didn't have to open his eyes to know that it was time for him to get up, but he was just so comfortable that he didn't want to move from this nice warm spot. He sighed sleepily before snuggling into the warm covers….when he suddenly froze. When exactly had his bed started breathing?

The blonde gasped before he jumped back, somewhat crouched at the edge of the bed. His eyes were harsh as he prepared to fight off the intruder.

Bakura watched the boy carefully before he moved to sit up.

"Who are you?" Marik hissed as he pulled out a knife and pointed it at the silver-haired stranger.

"Marik…." The man whispered calmly as he held his hands up in surrender, looking the boy straight in the eyes. "I'm your companion…remember?" He stated slowly in a firm voice.

The boy's harsh violet eyes stared at him for a minute before they slowly faded into a soft lavender. Marik slumped slightly as he panted for air, throwing the knife down as he tried to calm himself.

"Sorry….'bout that…" he gasped as he regained his composure.

Once his breathing was normal, the blonde stood and walked over a few feet towards a bag that he started rummaging through.

Bakura narrowed his eyes at the blonde, watching the boy's every move closely.

Marik turned around walking towards the white-haired stranger before offering a loaf of bread to the man. "Here….its breakfast." The blonde mumbled.

Bakura stared at the bread for a moment suspiciously, wondering if this was some sort of trap. When nothing happened after a few minutes, he reached out and took the offered food.

"I'm really sorry." Marik muttered apologetically as he sat down on the floor a few feet away. "I'm just not used to you yet. It won't happen again."

Bakura looked over the boy for a moment before taking a bite of his bread. He instantly cringed at the taste and hesitatingly swallowed the stale food. "What's this?" He asked in a demanding tone.

"Like I said, It's breakfast." Marik stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Like Hell it is." The white-haired boy snapped, tossing his loaf on the floor as he stood making his way towards the dark corridor.

"Hey, where are you going?" Marik called as he stood, watching the white-haired man.

"I'm going to get some real food." He called back as he waved back at the blonde.

"You don't even know where you're going." Marik yelled before running after the man.

* * *

"Are you sure that this plan will work my Pharaoh?" Isis asked as she walked into Atem's quarters.

She was taken aback when she didn't see him sitting at his desk where he usually was and instead found him out on the balcony looking over the sun-filled kingdom.

"Let me see the necklace for a moment." Atem smiled as he held out his hand to the woman.

Isis nodded as she made her way over to him, handing him the item.

The item glowed in his hands as two figures became clear in his mind, his vision being overtaken by the events of the past and the not-so-distant future.

He smiled and chuckled when he saw the young man searching for his black cat and happening upon the red-robed thief. He watched the scene unfold before him when he took a curious notice of the black cat when it ran over to the thief as if telling the blonde to free the imprisoned man. Then the vision took on another scene which had the blonde boy tossing and turning in his sleep while a perplexed looking Bakura watched with a curious expression until the boy awoke screaming to which the thief took on a comforting expression and tried to calm the boy down. Suddenly the vision changed, fire overtook his vision as images flashed quickly through his mind. Flashes showing the thief's gray-eyes glaring venomously, his face contorted in pain and hatred as tears slid down his face tracing over a newly made scar under his right eye. Another few flashes occurred showing the blonde out of control, the normal amethyst color his eyes took on now a bloody purplish burgundy as the young man laughed uncontrollably.

Atem quickly jerked away from the vision, using his puzzle to subdue the power of the necklace as he gasped for breath.

_That wasn't quite what I was expecting…_ Atem thought as he began to regain his composure. _I see…..looks like it wasn't just the thief that was the threat…now I've got this other problem I have to solve._

Atem sighed as he shook his head with thought. He had thought that if he had swiped Bakura's memories that Egypt would be safe. He had seen the possibility that a dark presence would consume the silver-haired man, using him and his rage in order to cause great destruction and chaos upon not only his kingdom but the whole world. That threat of darkness swallowing up innocent people was enough to make Atem try to prevent something of that sort. Only now that he had avoided one catastrophe from occurring did the item see fit to show him this new outcome for the future and instead of his initial plan he would have to come up with another in order to make sure that the people of his kingdom remained safe.

"Are you alright?" Isis asked as Atem turned to face her.

He nodded. "Yes, I'm fine Isis." He laughed as he gently placed the item back into her hands and patting her on the shoulder. "You've done well. Make sure that Seto knows nothing of this…alright?" He asked.

"Yes, My King." She answered as she bowed her head to him.

"Now now Isis….There's no need for formalities right now." He smiled.

"Oh…Ok." Isis nodded.

"Isis I need to ask you something." Atem suddenly spoke, his tone serious.

"Sure…anything." She said as she looked to him expectantly.

"The blonde that the Thief King is with…..isn't that your brother?" he asked.

Isis averted her gaze at the question.

"Isis….I know that that's Marik, There aren't many people in Egypt with golden-blonde hair. I'm not going to punish him, for helping Bakura escape. I just need to know what exactly I'm dealing with." Atem sighed.

"Yes, it's him." She muttered.

"He's had a darkness about him for a while now hasn't he?" Atem asked gently.

"It's not his fault." She blurted out. "He can't control it."

Atem nodded, averting his gaze. He was dreading the next question he was going to ask, he really didn't want to but he knew he needed to hear the whole story.

"Isis….When did it all start?"

* * *

"There's gotta be a way out here somewhere." Bakura muttered as he continued deeper into the dimly lit corridors.

Marik sighed as he dragged his feet. He didn't really feel like running around, hiding under some hot robes in order to hide his identity from the palace guards. Sometimes he really disliked having a strange hair-color that was easily recognizable.

"Do we really have to go up there now? Can't we wait until night-time when it's cool outside?" Marik asked trying to reason with the determined man.

"I'm hungry now and I'm not going to starve the whole day just because you are too much of a coward to go outside." Bakura sneered.

"I'm not a coward." Marik called as he stood up a little straighter, giving him a stance of authority.

"Don't forget, I'm the one that freed your pathetic ass to begin with. If it wasn't for me you'd still be in that cell trying to pry the bars apart with your bare hands like some kind of insane person."

Bakura blinked a few times before shrugging it off…his face turning into a small scowl.

"I would have escaped eventually." He muttered as he slowly continued moving forward.

Marik laughed running in front of the man. "Maybe….in about a hundred years…after the bars rusted." He snickered.

"Oh Yeah…." Bakura started. "You only freed me because of that stupid black cat of yours."

"Don't call Felix stupid!" Marik yelled as he turned on his heel to face the bewildered man.

"Felix is a special cat….She was given to me by a friend." His voice even as he looked into the man's eyes.

Bakura stayed quiet for a moment and as if on cue he heard a soft mew come from behind him.

Both boy's turned to see the ebony cat padding it's way over to the two of them bringing itself to sway and rub against the white-haired boy's leg. Bakura chuckled before he pat the cat on the head and reached down to scoop the cat up. The cat hissed and swatted at his hand before running to Marik and jumping into the blonde's arms purring.

"See….you hurt her feelings by calling her stupid." Marik stated before petting the cat.

Felix purred as she was pet before she turned her attention at the Silver-haired boy and stared intently at him.

Bakura stared back into the cat's shiny yellow eyes before they flashed a bright green color. The thief gasped at the cat, slightly jumping back at the sudden color change before blinking his eyes repeatedly and wiping them. When he looked back, the cat's eyes were the back to normal.

"What's wrong?" Marik asked as he eyed the thief questioningly.

"Ah nothing….Just something in my eye." Bakura said in a neutral tone as he started walking forward again.

Marik shrugged it off and continued walking ahead of Bakura, leading the way.

Bakura's mind was filled with silent wanderings as he continued to follow the blonde. The thief could have sworn that the cat had in fact changed it's eye color. While that was a curiosity in and of itself, the most curious thing that plagued his mind was that the cat doing that seemed familiar somehow. He couldn't exactly explain why but he had a feeling that he had seen that happen before. While he was wracking his brain for answers, he failed to notice that the boy in front of him had stopped and therefore slightly bumped into him.

"Hey!" Marik yelled at the unexpected push from behind. "Are you trying to knock me down?"

"Sorry…" Bakura muttered as he backed up a bit. "My mind was on other things."

"Fine." The blonde said in a neutral tone. "Just make sure you pay attention when we get up there. Now you need to pull your hood over your head."

Bakura stared at Marik blankly for a moment before asking. "Why?"

Marik sighed as grabbed a robe that was hanging beside the makeshift doorway and pulling it around and over his head. "Because….silver isn't a very common hair color."

Bakura nodded, quickly understanding what Marik was getting at, pulled on his hood.

"The light might be a bit bright so watch out." He said before the blonde slowly reached the switch and slowly turned it, bringing the stone door to open and reveal bright sunlight.

* * *

Seto sighed as he walked through the palace, his search for any information concerning Bakura or the Pharaoh had not been fruitful. It seems that everyone that worked in the palace and served Atem on a daily basis hadn't noticed anything strange about him. They had all stated that the king hadn't acted out of the ordinary and that perhaps Seto himself should take some rest.

He had also taken the liberty of asking the guards if there had been any suspicious occurrences happening in the city or if anything that looked to be the work of a thief had been reported. None of his guards had seen or heard of anything out of the ordinary and that it was a beautiful day and perhaps he should enjoy the nice weather.

Frustrated with the lack of information or proof that there was anything to investigate, he decided that perhaps walking throughout the palace would help ease some of the tension.

_I know it's not all in my head….Something's definitely going on. I guess the only two in the palace that are involved in whatever's going on is Isis and Atem himself. Damn it…That makes getting information all the more difficult on this end…..not to mention they're especially going out of their way to hide it all from me._

Seto clenched his teeth as he entered his chambers. Once inside he grabbed his royal priest hat off his head and tossed it onto his bed. He groaned in irritation as he brought himself to sit next to it and forcefully pulled at his hair.

"Damn it." He hissed. "Why would he be hiding something from me? Me, his right hand man…..his own cousin."

_Why would he distance himself now? What reason would he have to do such a thing?_

Seto stared down at the marble floor.

_And what does it have to do with Bakura?_

Seto sighed as he tried to come up with a possible explanation. When no real logical theories came to him he decided that perhaps he did need some fresh air. With this in mind he changed clothes, instead of sporting his priest look, he now wore a blue robe and a purple sarong with some tan slippers. He relaxed a little and excited his room making his way to the main entrance, pulling his hood over his head as he did so. He smiled slightly, liking the less heavy feel to his commoners clothes compared to his heavy royal robes.

As he left the palace walls behind him he decided that today was probably a good day to get a drink. He was stressed out….he needed something to take the edge off and beer sounded like just the thing to do it.

* * *

Bakura narrowed his eyes as the intense sunlight nearly blinded him despite Marik's warning. When he was finally able to open his eyes, he realized that there was a form of shade, shielding his eyes.

"I told you…to be careful." Marik laughed as he blocked the sun's rays from blinding his companion.

"I see…it was a bit brighter than I expected." Bakura muttered as his eyes adjusted to the light. When he was able to make out what was in front of him, he realized that it was Marik standing a few feet above him…his purple robe acting as a curtain to block out the sun.

"Watch your step." The blonde smiled holding out a hand to the man.

Bakura nodded and took the boy's hand as he jumped out of the tunnel. He smiled as he stretched slightly, enjoying being free from the dark underground.

"If we walk just a way's to the right….we'll be in the city." Marik declared as he pointed to the right.

Bakura looked and found that he could indeed see a city. Excited, the silver-haired boy started running before he felt a slight tug on the back of his hood, slightly choking him and causing him to stop.

"What was that for?" He hissed as he rubbed his throat.

"You can't just run off wherever you want….We have to stick together got it?"

Bakura merely nodded before replying. "Got it."

"Good." Marik nodded his head in satisfaction as he and Bakura started on their way towards the city.

"Besides we may be able to get some information on what your name is?" the blonde stated suddenly.

"Really?" Bakura asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, you just have to know where to get information. There's this inn and bar that's a great place to learn about who's been arrested and what's happening in and around the palace…stuff like that."

"Sounds like my kind of place." Bakura laughed as the two made their way into the city.

* * *

**Hey guys...I'm back. Man...it feels like it's been forever. It's good to be back...(Stupid random fever illness thing.) So yeah, after much work here's chapter 5. Hope ya'll like it. **

**Oooooh...There's something strange about Felix.**

**Marik and Bakura go out into the great unknown...a bar and inn.**

**Seto totally goes undercover to get booze. XD**

**We finally got to peek inside the mind of Atem.**

**Tune in next time to watch the Awesome Antics ensue in Forgotten Memories Chapter 6!**

**Please Read and Leave a Review. Reviews are the tavern drinks that keep me coming back to write...So leave a lot. ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6

The Mutton and Glutton bar and Inn was a sturdy place. After all it had to be since it housed some of the roughest of the rough inside it's walls. Bakura was amazed that the place was still standing due to the cracks in the ceiling and the huge gashes in the wall, where apparently someone's head was bashed into the stone hard enough to make a mark. The smell of alcohol permeated the room as well as the conversations of the men around them. Several of them talking about their latest kills and their latest escapades and such things that only men would brag about.

Marik rolled his eyes and wrinkled his nose in disgust as they made their way to the bar, taking a couple of seats and waited to be served. He looked over at his White-haired friend only to find him somewhat on edge.

"What's wrong?" Marik asked in a hushed whisper.

His companion merely shook his head and stared blankly at the table before him.

Marik blinked a few times before reaching a hand on the other's shoulder, slightly patting it to try to ease some of the man's distress.

"Come on, what's wrong?...You were fine a minute ago."

The two sat in silence as the blonde watched, waiting for his companion to answer him.

"It's nothing…." The white-haired boy whisperd, shaking his head slightly. "This place….just seems….familiar."

"Well, that's a good thing isn't it?" Marik asked curiously. "We are trying to regain your memories after all."

"Yeah…but for some reason I've got a bad feeling about this place." Bakura muttered as he continued to look down, bringing his hood and hair to cover his eyes.

Marik sighed as he removed his hand from Bakura's shoulder, bringing it to a bend, setting his elbow on the table and bringing his head to lean on his hand in thought.

The silence between them was broken when a rather large man approached them.

"What'll it be?" He asked as he looked over the two patrons.

Marik only smiled as he looked slightly up to make eye contact with the man and stated confidently that he would have a beer.

The business owner smiled in return and glanced over at the other patron, His eyes narrowed the moment he saw the red colored robe but asked the man what he wanted none-the-less.

"I'll have what he's having." Bakura muttered, keeping his head downcast so that his hood was covering his face. He had a bad feeling about his man, a gnawing feeling in his gut telling him that it was probably a good time to get the hell out of this place. However, he decidedly swallowed the dreaded feeling and maintained a neutral cool expression.

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't quite catch that." The man started. "Perhaps if you looked me in the eyes like a real man, then I'd be able to hear you."

Marik stared curiously at the man and then down at his companion. Something seemed off, maybe the white-haired boy was right to be a bit apprehensive. He watched carefully as he observed his companion, wondering what he would do.

Bakura could feel his whole body go rigid at the call-out. Something about this man struck him as dangerous for what reason he didn't know. Frustrated with himself and his current situation, he didn't want to be caught so soon after escaping. He clenched and unclenched his fists in his lap as he gritted his teeth as he tried to will his tensed body to relax. Not only that but the man's words had struck a cord with him somehow. Wasn't he after all the one who had said that Marik was a coward? Now here he was in the thick of it and he was being called out.

Bakura slowly moved his head up and brought his gaze to glare into the eyes of the large man.

The man stared at him for only a second before he quickly grabbed Bakura, slammed him up against the nearest wall and held a knife to his neck.

"Well, Well, Well….If it isn't Bakura, the king of thieves." He called, loud enough for the whole bar to hear.

* * *

Atem sighed as he sat back in his chair. Oh why couldn't things actually work out for him for once? Why did Darkness constantly have to threaten his kingdom? Ah yes that's right….his uncle was a lunatic that thought it would be a good idea to create seven items of power via the destruction of a village and the complete and total massacre of its people.

"I see." Atem muttered as he ran a hand through his hair in thought, absorbing the entirety of Isis' story.

_There's got to be a way to stop this. In Bakura's situation it was an outside darkness that was going to consume him, However the same cannot be said about Marik's. In time Marik will lose himself to his inner-darkness and thus the Marik we know now will cease to exist. What do I do when that time comes?...when his sanity is all gone….What will I do?_

The Pharaoh gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, to say that he was troubled was an understatement.

_Should I even wait till that happens? Do I stop this now before anything can happen? Should I kill Marik Ishtar? Sacrifice him to save the everyone else?_

"My Pharaoh?" Isis called, her voice weak and heavy with concern.

Atem brought his eyes to look upon her. It was hard to after those last few thoughts, however he made himself do so. Once he saw her in complete distress and silent tears streaming her face. He instantly regretted looking into those watery blue eyes of hers.

"Yes." He answered firmly.

"I know that you have to look into the best interest of the people but please save him. He's my only brother. He's not a monster like in those visions. I know it looks bad but deep down he's just the same broken child he was that night. Please tell me you'll save him." Isis begged.

Atem let out a heavy sigh.

"Is there any way to save him? This won't be solved by a simple wipe of memories, His darkness is much to ingrained into his very soul….At this point he's practically two entities sharing the same body. I got to Bakura before the entity could make it's mark and prevented it. With Marik's condition it's too late for a pre-emptive strike."

The air in the room grew cold as Isis nearly crumpled onto the floor.

"Isis.." The king spoke gently.

_I wish there was another way to solve this….I wish I could save him and take away the pain….like I did with Bakura. Take it away and send them off to have a better life without it. Why must they suffer from the sins of others? Did they not deserve to have vengeance? Bakura with his whole family slaughtered and Marik being tortured and forced to live underground….both done because of this kingdom. If there was someone that had to pay a price for these atrocities….why did it have to be those most hurt, those who suffered, those who were victims of them?_

Atem thought deep and hard about it, when suddenly his eyes lit up bright beautiful violet….He had come up with a brilliant idea.

_Maybe…..just maybe that could actually work…._

"Isis…"Atem spoke, a newfound confidence to his tone.

Isis brought her head up to meet the smiling face of her king.

"I'll do everything I can to save him….it's a royal promise." He spoke as he moved to look out onto the balcony to see his priest walking out through the palace walls.

_Ah yes….Seto….I now know exactly what to do about you._

* * *

Seto had often preached about the negative effects of beer, mostly to his once best friend. That it was just an excuse to be lazy and not think about anything. However, when he got older he realized that he needed the drink. He often drank right before he had to face his friend as his enemy to remind himself why he was against him in the first place. Sure, they had always been rivals but their rivalry had been a friendly one. That of course had changed as the years went by and when Seto had decided to work for the Pharaoh, someone that Bakura absolutely despised.

_I know he thinks I've betrayed him…..but doesn't he realize that I took this position to protect others from enduring the same pain._

Seto grimaced as he clenched his teeth, his eyes closing as if in pain.

_Besides who knows what would have happened to him by now if it weren't for me, giving excuses and saving his ass all the time. If I hadn't of informed Atem about everything then he most certainly would have been killed. I use to be on Atem's side but now….I'm not even sure if I should stay there…at his side when he's keeping things from me. At least Bakura never hid anything, he always had a way of telling people what he thought to their face._

Seto sighed. He knew he was wavering between two sides he wished to be a part of. On one hand he wanted to serve the king that he so faithfully believed in and on the other hand he wanted to find Bakura and make sure that he wasn't in trouble or causing any.

Seto looked down at his drink before taking a few more gulps of it before slouching back down to lay his head against the table.

"What am I supposed to do?" He muttered to himself.

That was when he heard a loud thud followed by a roaring yell coming from behind him.

"Well, Well, Well, If it isn't Bakura….the king of thieves."

* * *

"Isis…Do you trust me? Will you follow me until the very end?" Atem asked.

"Yes…If it is to save my brother and everyone else…I will." She answered.

"Good…..Because very soon everyone in this kingdom will hate me." He laughed as he wrote down a very long letter on parchment and signing it with a final tap. He read over it and when he saw that it was good enough, rolled it up and handed it to her.

"Give this to my main guard and tell him to read it aloud in front of the entire city. Tell him to make sure every word is heard by every citizen…including Seto."

_This'll surely get him to take a side….I know you too well Seto. You're driven by such a need for justice for the people. You've been trying to be neutral all this time….that weighs too heavily on your soul. So I've made your decision for you. Find him Seto….I'm counting on you. Don't disappoint me._

Isis nodded and she left the room to deliver the scroll.

* * *

Marik's eyes widened at the scene as everything seemed to go in slow motion, he hadn't even noticed the man move until it was too late and Bakura's neck was literally on the line.

"What do you want?" Bakura grunted out as he brought his hands up to wrap around the man's hand in an attempt to pull the blade away from him.

"Me?" The bartender laughed. "I think everyone else in this bar would like their try at killing you. Isn't that right men?"

The whole bar filled with a loud yell of agreement.

"We'd like to have that title of yours, among criminals it will be legendary to murder a man such as yourself. You should be honored, hardly is there ever a criminal worthy enough of such praise." The man laughed. "However, today your legend shall end and mine shall begin." The man said as he shifted his weight onto the knife a little more, cutting the thief just enough to draw a bit of blood.

Marik's mind raced as he charged towards the man, knocking him to the side slightly but not hard enough to make him lose his grip.

The burly man laughed as he stood his ground and maintained his hold on his victim.

"Well, isn't that nice…..The thief's found himself a partner." The man laughed as the blonde fell forward unable to stop, inertia taking over along with gravity.

That's when another man grabbed a hold of his hood and pulled him back showing his blonde hair.

"Feeling left out are you? That's ok….both of your deaths can be arranged." The snarky man said as he brought Marik to face him before punching him in the gut, making him double over in pain.

* * *

Seto's eyes widened in horror as he watched the burly bartender threaten the helpless looking thief. He was about to interfere and stop this violence until he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Some man in a purple cloak had charged the armed man in an attempt at trying to help Bakura out.

Seto blinked a few times as the bartender stayed on his feet and brushed off the attack as the cloaked man kept going forward, unable to stop as he skidded on his feet as he tried to regain his balance. That was when a second man jumped up from his seat and grabbed the hood of the man's cloak to reveal bright gold hair.

_Marik?!_

Seto thought as the man punching Marik in the stomach and effectively bringing the boy to his knees in agony.

"STOP!" He bellowed.

Everyone's heads turned to face the man who had guts enough to stop this bloodshed. They all blinked when they saw the cold blue eyes that they would recognize on only one face: The priest that had kept them in line and had the authority to throw them all in the dungeon.

"I suggest that you put him down this instant." Seto ordered as he made his way through the quieted crowd.

"Oh yeah..." The bartender sneered. "What if I don't want to?"

"You obviously don't realize to whom you are speaking. I am Seto, High Priest for our Pharaoh and keeper of the dungeon." He stated as he pulled out his Millennium item.

The rod began to glow and suddenly the bartender was enshrouded in a golden aura making it impossible for him to move.

The man grunted as he attempted to move but to no avail.

"What have you done to me?" he ground out.

Seto ignored the man as he grabbed onto the burly man's arm and made it release the grasp he had on the thief and then focused his attention on the knife and brought it slowly away from Bakura's throat. Bakura moved away slowly, rubbing his throat and surmising that he had only a scratch before looking up at his savior.

"Are you alright, Bakura?" Seto asked.

The thief merely nodded before he focused on his companion and ran over to him.

Seto smiled as he brought his attention to the rest of the room. "Get out."

Everyone ran towards the door, not willing to risk such a punishment from the brunette, as the priest made his way towards the tomb keeper.

"Marik, you ok?" He asked.

Marik gritted his teeth as he stood up, shaking off the pain. "Yeah." He hissed. "I'll be fine."

* * *

"So what were you doing outside this time Marik?" Seto asked as the three made their way through the streets of Thebes.

"Well, You see….I didn't have anything left to eat except for some bread that he simply refused to eat." Marik stated as he pointed at the red-robed boy.

"Hey…It was stale. Nobody would want to eat stale bread, besides the bar was your idea." Bakura added. "I was just thinking to lift some from the market…but no….You said that we couldn't do that." The White-haired boy huffed.

Marik laughed. "Yeah, well now we know it's because you're a famous thief. Who knew I'd find myself a legend in that dungeon."

Marik's and Bakura's eyes both widened when they realized one crucial point. They had the man in charge of the cells walking right with them. They slowly turned to look at the brunette in commoner's attire with suspicious eyes.

Seto merely shrugged. "Don't worry, neither of you are in any trouble. The Pharaoh hasn't ordered me to retrieve him so there's no point in taking him back."

The two just stared at him for a long time before they decided that he was telling the truth and continued walking. It was silent until Marik broke it with a question that had been nagging him since they had met up with the tall man.

"Why are you wearing those clothes instead of your robes?"

Seto sighed. "Believe it or not….I don't work all the time. I think I'm more than deserving of a day without everyone instantly sucking up to me because of the clothes I wear."

"Ahhh." Marik and Bakura nodded at the logical explanation.

"So…." Seto started to speak after a few moments of silence. "You guys still hungry?"

The two younger boys nodded eagerly as they all walked towards the marketplace.

* * *

**Yo! What's up ya'll? **

**Here's Chapter 6. I hope ya'll enjoy it.**

**They discovered Bakura's name in a not so friendly manner. **

**Seto to the Rescue!**

**Poor Bakura and Marik...They totally got owned in this chapter.**

**What's Atem got planned? (He seems to be planning a lot in this story. XD)**

**Isis is totally sister of the year! (Shout out to all the awesome Sisters and Brothers out there!) (Also to the only child category...which I'm a part of XD)**

**Please Read and leave a Review. I always adore getting feedback and You guys are just super spectacular. **

**Thanks and Have an Awesome day!**


	7. Chapter 7

Seto smiled as he made his way back towards the palace. It had been a long day but in the end it was all good. After all now he knew Bakura's whereabouts and that he would be fine with Marik. He couldn't help but release a sigh of relief when the young tomb-keeper had informed him that the theif had no memories to speak of. Of course the blonde had asked him if he knew anything about it, which Seto answered smoothly with a half-truth saying that he had found the man unconscious when he took him into the dungeons. The two boys had sighed in defeat at that and slouched lower in their seats before jumping back up when their food was placed onto the table. Other than that the evening had been pleasant and before seeing them off made sure that they had a stockpile of food to take home with them. He, of course had to tell the blonde to stay underground and that not every guard would be so understanding of his situation if he had gotten caught. Soon after that he had sent the two home with a wave and a smile and started on his journey back to the palace, where paperwork and other responsibilities awaited him.

* * *

Marik and Bakura panted as they entered their underground domicile.

"Why on earth….do we have to carry…..so much food?" Bakura asked between breaths.

"It was….nice of him to…give it to us….be grateful." Marik panted back as he sat the food and drink onto the dusty table in the corner before moving to collapse onto the bed, bringing himself to lean against the wall.

"Yeah, it was great and all." Bakura laughed breathlessly as he collapsed beside the blonde. "But next time maybe we should steal a horse and cart."

The two laughed for a moment.

"I'm serious, that stuff was heavy….you would think that we weren't ever going to leave this place again."

Marik tensed at the statement.

"I don't see why Seto bought so much of it….it's not like we're forbidden to go back out right?"

Bakura smirked slightly thinking of how ridiculous the notion was.

The white-haired boy was met not with an answer like he had expected and instead was met with nothing but complete and utter silence. He turned to see the blonde completely rigid and staring down into his lap, as if what he had said held some truth in it.

Bakura let out a low nervous laugh slip past his lips. Surely this was some joke….was what he said actually the truth. He shook his head, that was completely ludicrous…why would anyone be forbidden to go outside? Bakura raised his brow when he noticed that Marik had a faraway look in his eyes. He slowly leaned towards the boy.

"Marik…" He whispered as the boy took on the look that he had the previous night as if something he had seen truly terrified him.

"What's wrong?" Bakura asked but received no answer.

"Marik…." He spoke gently as he grabbed onto the boy's shoulders and gently shook him. "What's wrong?"

Marik kept silent, as if trapped in a world all his own….a world which Bakura was not a part of and a world that Marik wished never existed.

_What's wrong with him?_ Bakura thought. _Why isn't he responding? No matter how hard I try to snap him out of it, he just sits there like a lifeless doll and stares into nothingness._

Bakura sighed as he released the boy, resting the blondes body to lean against the wall.

He didn't have the slightest idea of what was going on….everything had been fine earlier but now the boy was practically catatonic. All of this over a conversation about being forbidden from going outside.

It was then that something struck Bakura, something in his mind seemed to click.

_"Marik…" Seto sighed. "You need to stay underground, if someone had caught you other than me….they wouldn't be so understanding of your situation. You understand?"_

_"Yeah, I know." Marik answered as his head drooped a little, his expression turning into one of sadness at the reminder._

Bakura looked over at the blonde again…not quite sure what to say.

_But why isn't he allowed to go out? Why does he have to stay down here in the cold underground?_

Bakura sighed as he moved closer to Marik and bringing the boy to lean against him.

"It'll be ok Marik." He whispered as he slid his hand through Marik's hair in a soothing manner.

_Is this why he was so afraid to be left alone the other night?_

"I'm here….and I'm not going anywhere." He muttered as he leaned the boy's head against his chest, somewhat cradling him.

* * *

Seto sighed as he sat down on his bed. It had been a long day and now he was ready to finally rest with some ease. He could now focus more on his job and sleep more soundly, now that he knew the bandit was doing alright.

Unfortunately the need for rest would have to wait because the next thing he heard was loud horns…signaling that there was an announcement from his majesty.

"What the…." Seto murmured as he stood to move towards his balcony. He was confused…the pharaoh hadn't told him anything about an announcement.

_Then again he hasn't been telling me anything recently._

Seto thought as he brought his attention to the guard standing on top of the platform.

"All citizens of the fair city of Thebes…Listen, for I have a message from our honorable and righteous King."

It wasn't long after this proclamation that many people came to come around the man on the platform, listening to his words and hanging on each and every one as he spoke.

* * *

"WHAT?!" Seto yelled as he hurriedly changed out of his commoner's clothes and all but shoved himself into his royal garb. "Dammit….What's he thinking?" Seto cursed as he slammed his feet into his slippers and ran off towards the Pharaoh's chambers.

_Is he crazy? Why raise the taxes? The people aren't making enough money to pay all that?_

He thought as he slammed the door open.

"MY LORD! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Seto bellowed.

"It's exactly as I decreed." Atem stated calmly as he sat at his table and looked out the window.

"The people of this country and city are making more money and so I see no problem in taxing them a little more."

"Pharaoh, where did you get this information from? I have not heard of an increase in profits. In fact, just a few days ago…I calculated that the earnings are the same as they were and have been the same for several years."

"Seto…It is not always obvious…numbers can't account for everything. People will lie and keep extra cash if they make it. Do you think they'd actually report if there was an increase." Atem stated smartly.

"My lord, those would be criminals. Criminals that I seek and weed out in accordance with the laws." Seto hissed. "They are not part of the common people….who are honest and would report such things. These common people that you are now betraying by taxing them way more than they can afford."

"Seto….trust me….all will be well. I assure you, I do this only for the benefit of my people and for my kingdom. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some rest…I'll see you tomorrow." The young king smiled as he walked and patted the brunette's shoulder before dismissing him.

* * *

Marik didn't know how long he had been floating in darkness, all he knew was that he wanted to get out of it soon before the voice started talking to him again.

_"Oh, Marik, Marik, Marik…." _The voice tsked.

_"How many times do I have to tell you?...we are the same."_

_No…we're not. Get away from me._

_"Hahahaha…." _The voice laughed. _"Still naïve young little Marik….." _The voice said as it materialized before him.

Small lights assaulted his vision, they looked like strangely beautiful diamonds as they combined into the darkness and came to form a body of shadows. The shadows soon took shape, molding themselves into the shape of a boy about the same height as he was. It wasn't long before the features came into focus on the being. His skin tan as he wore a purple robe much like a cape around his neck with his tan robes tied around his waist into a makeshift sarong. The man stood before him, running his hands through his hair, making it stick up in a wild looking fashion. Marik's eyes widened in disbelief….if he didn't know better, he would have sworn that this man was his twin. They looked nearly identical, except for the fashion of which the man held himself and the harshness of his features.

_"Uncanny….isn't it?"_ The man spoke in a voice that Marik suddenly realized was his own, just a few octaves deeper than normal.

_"Now do you believe me?"_ his double asked.

Marik was struck speechless, he was horrified of this person and mortified that it had taken the same form as him.

_What have you done to me demon?_ Marik asked the other blonde as fear took a hold of his heart and caused him to tremble slightly.

_"Demon?..." _ The form asked, wearing a confused expression upon his face before laughing slightly.

_"I'm no demon." _He stated seriously as a look of disgust crossed his features. _"Look at you…..you're pathetic."_

The strange man said as he made his way closer to the frightened blonde before looking him over as if examining the boy.

The doppelganger sneered. _ "You disgust me…..You're nothing but a weakling. That's why I'm going to gain control of this body."_

_NEVER!..._ Marik shouted in his thoughts. _Not after what you did….._

_"Oh….Do you mean this?" _ The man laughed as the darkness around them transformed into the cavern, walls covered in blood.

_I know you killed him!_

_"Yes….but it was what you wanted." The voice stated as he moved his hand to cover Marik's heart._

* * *

To say that Marik was yelling….would have been a huge understatement. Bakura reasoned as he attempted to wake the teen up but had no luck in doing so. Was something like this going to happen every night? He couldn't help but wonder since he had only been there for two nights and each night the blonde had yelled out in his sleep.

"MARIK!" The white-haired boy yelled. "MARIK!...IT'S JUST A DREAM." He yelled as he shook the boy's trembling body back forth.

"NO….YOU CAN'T…" Marik would yell every so often which confused his white-haired companion to no end, causing the thief to stop for a moment before realizing that Marik was not talking to him and instead was talking in his sleep at whatever nightmare was plaguing him at the moment.

Bakura had tried everything he could think of to calm the boy down but none had worked. He had patted him on the head, hugged him, tried to talk him down. So in the end he settled on just trying to wake the blonde.

Bakura sighed as he clutched onto the boy's shoulders and stared at him. He was tired and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He felt worthless as a companion. How was he supposed to be there for the blonde, if he couldn't wake him up and ask him what was wrong?

He had nearly hit his breaking point when he heard a slight mew.

Bakura looked down to see Felix staring back up at him. She meowed again before pouncing from the floor to land on the bed beside him. Bakura simply watched the cat walk over to the yelling boy, surprised that the loud noise didn't frighten the cat when the blonde yelled out again suddenly. Felix somewhat ignored the sound and turned to stare at the thief before looking at the blonde.

"You want to try to help too huh?" The thief asked curiously.

The ebony feline looked at him again and mewed as if to say yes.

Bakura only shrugged and tiredly muttered. "Why not?...It's not like anything I've done has had any effect on him."

Bakura sighed as he slowly laid the blonde down on the bed and sat there beside him, watching the cat as she jumped onto the boy's chest and lightly padded it's way towards Marik's face. She stared at him for a moment as if looking for something before her eyes glowed again, transforming from yellow to a beautiful jade green. The cat stayed that way for a few moments before licking the boy's face as her eyes returned to their normal yellow tone.

Bakura sat in silence as the cat moved off the sleeping boy and came to curl up right next to the thief within arms reach of both boys. Bakura sat there in silence, the only sound was that of Marik's soft breathing and the cat's purring.

Bakura smiled as he lifted his hand and slightly stroked the cat, running his fingers over the soft fur.

"Thank you." He whispered. "Whatever you did….Thanks, Felix."

Felix only lifted her head as if to acknowledge him before laying it back down and purring herself to sleep.

_What exactly is she? This cat isn't normal? Why does she seem familiar and how did she do that?_

Bakura's mind whirled with these questions alongside the ones about Marik's curious "situation" as Seto had put it. What was it Marik was afraid of that caused nightmares and terrors to haunt him at night? What did Felix have to do with it and why does her eyes change color? Did she have some sort of magic powers or something? Why was Marik forbidden to go outside? How does he himself recognize Felix's ability for changing eye color as something he'd been familiar with?

Curiosity ran through his veins as he thought through all these questions as they seemed to bounce through his mind as well as off each other. He would have to find a way to figure this all out. He decided that the most logical starting point would be to become familiar with this underground home. Perhaps there would be clues about Marik's situation and such through here. He nodded as this seemed to be the best way to start, since he was more concerned over Marik's predicament more than anything else. After all he was the blonde's companion…and he absolutely hated seeing the boy in such distress.

He gently sighed as he ran his hand through the golden strands of the sleeping boy's hair. He couldn't help but think the boy adorable as he sighed slightly and turned to face him as he continued to feel each strand as they fell through his fingertips.

Yes, Bakura would most certainly find a way to help his companion…..He was determined and made it a silent promise to not only himself but to Marik as well.

_No matter what….I'll be by your side and I'll help you, Marik._

This was his last thought before he slowly laid down and drifted off to sleep, his hand slightly moving gently through the boy's hair before stopping mid-stroke.

* * *

**Hope Ya'll Like this one. ^_^**

**Please Read and Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

He had been walking for what seemed like forever. He had been searching these halls for a few hours now, looking for anything to relieve his boredom. Marik had just been content to sit and do absolutely nothing but sulk the past few days. So today instead of gracing him with his presence and getting bored by the tedium of it all, he decided that he might as well explore the caverns that the blonde was confined to.

He looked from side to side seeing all kinds of carvings and etchings along the walls. There were some hieroglyphs however it was difficult for the thief to read, he could only understand a few words at best but none of it made sense to him. As he continued walking he found to his surprise a strange wall, the wall looked ordinary to him but as he walked closer, something about it made him suspicious. Whether it was instincts from being a thief or not he wasn't sure but as he looked closer he noticed the wall was bare, nothing was written on it. He stopped in front of the strange wall, cautiously he walked towards it. As he approached it he reached out to lightly tap the wall before retracting his hand and taking a few steps back.

He sighed with a mixture of relief and disappointment; he had really thought something would have happened. He laughed slightly, feeling somewhat foolish that he had been curious of the blank piece of hallway. Just wondering if the hours of exploring had gotten to him he brought himself to lean on the opposite wall.

"Ah…" the surprised thief gasped as he was jolted away from the wall, nearly landing face first on the floor.

He quickly turned around and glared at the wall for a moment, when he found nothing coming off the wall he couldn't help but wonder what had forced him away from it. Curious, he held up his hand to touch the wall as he touched it, his hand was immediately repelled. His eyes widened as he saw the wall glow a slight purple color before returning to the normal tan brick.

"A magic barrier?" Bakura muttered as he tried to touch the wall again, this time noticing that his hand glowed a little as well. His hand however had a golden aura around it. Bakura gazed at it curiously before the glow disappeared as quickly as it came.

_Interesting….._

The Thief couldn't help but grin….he was curious to figure this out. This had to be a puzzle of a sorts that had to do with the opposite wall. So he set to work as he tried to figure out and discover just what was so well hidden behind the wall that it needed such protection.

"Ow…." Marik called as he grasped his head in pain as he slightly opened his eyes, his gaze was met with the sight of his legs in mid-air leaning against the bed as if he had been lying upside down. He quickly pushed his legs off the bed as he squirmed in order to sit up.

He laughed slightly at being awoken in such a brutal manner and supposed that it was the gods way of saying that it was time for him to get up. Once the pain subsided he looked around to see that Bakura hadn't returned from exploring the underground tomb.

Marik briefly wondered if the white-haired man would get lost amongst all the twists and turns. He probably should have warned him before he left that it was a tomb and that there were traps laid out in some areas to catch intruders off guard. Cursing at himself for not warning his companion about the dangers , he decided that he better go search for the Thief.

_Knowing that nature of his for wanting to take things….he'll be trapped somewhere._

With this thought in mind Marik made his way through the halls, searching for any signs of the King of Thieves.

It didn't take him long to find the thief…he could hear him yelling and cursing all the way throughout the corridors leading him to his whereabouts.

"Damn wall….How do I make you move?" Bakura growled as he attempted touching the wall for the hundredth time as he looked at the opposite wall to see absolutely nothing happening.

"I know that it works like this somehow...What am I doing wrong?" The thief asked curiously as he continued to eye the wall, as if staring at it would provide him with an answer.

Marik came to stop a few feet away from Bakura, his eyes widened in surprise.

_I didn't think that he would find that door….Most people wouldn't notice it. Interesting….So there's more to him than just being a thief._

He smirked as he walked closer and came to stand a few inches away from the concentrating thief.

"What are you doing?" Marik asked as if he was in thought.

Bakura turned to look at the blonde in acknowledgement.

"Looks like someone decided to come out and play." He sneered before bringing his attention back to the task at hand.

Marik laughed slightly at the focused and determined look on Bakura's face before sitting down next to the other's crouched down form. Marik watched carefully as Bakura brought his hand to the wall and as the purple glow surrounded the wall, Bakura's hand also began to glow.

"Oh no….You're not pushing me away this time." Bakura spoke through gritted teeth as he brought his other hand against the repelling force using his golden aura to push through the purple.

Marik's eyes widened.

_That aura…._

The scene of a man with dark hair and a gentle smile came to mind as he watched Bakura fight against the wall until he was ultimately repelled. The force pushed the White-haired man against the opposing wall, slamming him spread eagle onto it before he slid down.

Marik blinked a few times in disbelief before running over to his companion.

"Are you alright?" Marik asked.

"Yeah." Bakura nodded before lifting his head in determination to look at the wall. "I'll be fine." Bakura laughed slightly before he leaned forward cautiously, gritting his teeth and hissing when he felt pain coming from his back.

Marik noticing this brought his hand to Bakura's chest to hold him steady.

"Thanks…" Bakura muttered. "Hey Marik?"

"Yeah."

"This is a tomb isn't it?" he asked as he looked over at the blonde.

Marik merely nodded.

"Something about this seems familiar." Bakura whispered before his eyes closed and he abruptly fell limp.

Marik sighed as he hoisted the collapsed thief up onto his back piggy-back style and started his long walk back to his room. As he walked flashes of memories came to mind.

_"I have a son a few years older than you…." The man spoke with gentleness to his voice as he sat in his cell while running a hand absentmindedly through his hair._

Marik stared at the man in wonderment. "Does he live outside too?"

The dark-haired man merely laughed. "Yes, he lives on the surface too."

"Really?" Marik asked as his eyes sparkled. "What's it like out there?"

"Hmmm…" The man hummed, deep in thought. "Well, it's bright when the sun's out and there's sand everywhere. There are villages spread out all throughout Egypt. Some are grander than others but my village is rather small compared to the vastness of Thebes."

"Wow…" the small blonde boy smiled.

"So boy, you got a name?" The man asked.

"Marik." The boy answered simply.

"Marik, hmmm." The man spoke as if testing the name. "That sounds like a good strong name." The man smiled.

"Sir, What's your name?"

"Hahaha….My name is Akefia, Son of the clan of Anubis." The man laughed, smiling.

"I'm Marik, soon to be tomb-keeper." The boy grinned back.

"I never thought I'd make friends with a thief." Marik laughed.

"I'd never thought a tomb-keeper could make great conversation." The man smiled.

Marik nodded as he stood, it was time for him to get back to his room before someone noticed he had snuck out.

"Marik, Before you go." The man started.

Marik stopped and swung back around to face the man. "Yeah?" The small boy asked.

"I want to give you something. My son really loved her but I think you'll need her more than he does." He stated as he became engulfed in a golden aura.

Marik slowly stepped back, his eyes becoming somewhat fearful.

"Don't be scared, It may be magic but It won't hurt you." The man reassured as a bright light formed in his hands.

Marik closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again to see the man holding a small black ball of fur.

"Her name is Felix. Can you take good care of her for me?"

Marik confusedly stared at the man as the man held out the small creature out for him to look at.

"Is that a cat?" Marik asked.

The man nodded. "But she's not an ordinary kitten…She's a good judge of character and it's best to do what she wants. The cat has sort of a knack for knowing what's good for ya." The man laughed.

Marik slowly brought his hands to pet the kitten as it mewed slightly. The blonde boy giggled as he lifted the creature from the man's hands and cradled it. "You're giving her to me?" He asked.

Akefia merely smiled and nodded. "Yep, She's all yours kid."

Marik smiled as he walked through the corridors holding the small kitten in his arms, oblivious to the fact that this would be the last time he or anyone else would see or speak to the strange thief. The next day he had found the cell completely empty, when he had asked his father about the stranger, the bearded man merely said that thieves had to be punished and that it was none of his concern. Marik felt his heart leap into his throat for he knew that the man was dead.

Marik was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a slight mew. Felix had curled herself into a little ball as she laid down on the thief's chest.

_So you're Akefia's son._ Marik smiled slightly, at least he could help Bakura out a little bit more than he had initially thought. That's when he looked over at Felix.

"Is that why you wanted me to free him? He's the son of your old master." The blonde muttered as he started to stroke her head.

Felix merely purred before nodding her head into his hand.

"Just what are you planning?" Marik laughed softly as he eyed the cat.

Felix merely stuck her pink nose up at him and turned around to face the thief instead of him.

"Oh, It's a secret is it." He smirked. "Fine Felix….I'll play your game."

The cat merely swung her tail in acknowledgement before yawning and going to sleep.

* * *

**Here's Chapter 8...Hope Ya'll like it.**

**Please Read and Review...To tell me what you think. :D**


	9. Chapter 9

_Tombs…._

Tombs….

Why does that word sound so familiar?

Bakura wondered as he floated around in the darkness of his subconscious.

_It seems like it's so important yet…I can't remember. It feels so far away….._

He thought as he started to walk through the darkness, reaching his right arm out as he sped his walking until he was running as if the answer to his question was within arms reach.

Suddenly his vision was overtaken with bright orange flames.

_Fire…..Buildings burning around him, the smell of smoke suffocated him as he ran away from the yelling and screaming that seemed to follow him no matter how much distance he had put between himself and the village. He had seen enough….Of what he wasn't aware but he knew he had seen enough of it._

Soon the fire that had once flooded his vision receded, his heart ached with a hatred and a passion for vengeance as he roamed the desert going from one pyramid to another, stealing whatever he could find that was valuable. However he had a feeling of overwhelming stress and anger whenever he hadn't found whatever it was that he was looking for.

"Bakura…."

The small boy turned his head to look into his father's smiling face, the man's black hair cut short in a spiked mess that looked so much like his own.

Bakura smiled at the man before running up to him and hugging him before backing away and jumping up and down excitedly.

"Where is she? Where's Felix?" The boy asked as he bounced around his father, looking for the small black furball that had become his friend.

"Hold on a second…" The man laughed before he sat down. "I just got home from a tomb, I need to rest for a moment." The man said gently as he patted his clothes and hair to rid them of the sand and dust.

Bakura grinned as he sat down next to his father, still squirming from all the excitement.

"Come on Dad…I want to show Felix to Seto. He said he didn't think that a thief like me could ever hope to ever be able to do magic. I want to prove him wrong." Bakura begged before crossing his arms.

"Oh, So this has to do with your friend in the next village over huh?" Akefia laughed as he held his hands out as a golden aura surrounded them giving form to a small little kitten.

"Here…" The man laughed.

"When are you gonna teach me how to do that?" Bakura asked. "Seto's really smart Dad….He'll figure out eventually if he hasn't already that I can't do magic."

"Maybe when you're older…." The man said thoughtfully before ruffling the boy's hair.

Soon he was running towards the house of his friend. The light evening sky suddenly turned dark as he trudged aimlessly through the purple desert sand. Unsure of where he was going and oblivious to his surroundings, he could feel tears slide down his cheeks as he approached the small shop. He felt as if he was just there…nothing else. He was numb…numb to feeling anything at all. He didn't knock or anything…He hadn't had the mind to and so he entered the building to find his friend make the most shocked expression of his life.

"Bakura…" The boy asked slowly, his normally cold eyes full of concern. "What happened to you?"

* * *

Stars twinkled and sparkled throughout the darkness of the midnight blue that surrounded them, trapping them in its midst. Bakura sighed, feeling like he could somehow sympathize with the glowing dots, for he too felt somewhat trapped by a foggy darkness that seemed to shroud his mind. He couldn't help but feel that this feeling was caused by the slightly nightmarish dream that had been assaulting his mind not only while he dreamt but during his waking hours as well.

It had been this way ever since he had collapsed after trying his hardest to infiltrate the magic barrier, which had been nearly a month ago. He couldn't help but think that the events in his dreams were bits and pieces of muddled memories….but he didn't know for sure. After all Felix and Seto were in his dream….Could he have really known them in his past?

The white-haired thief yawned as he sat up from the bed of sand he had created before grabbing some of the bluish colored dirt and letting it sift between his fingers….He sighed as he felt great comfort in laying in the outdoors. He somehow wished he could simply stay out there for the remainder of the night as he enjoyed the feel of the desert wind brushing through his hair bringing a slight peace of mind to him. However, he had to go back into the underground tomb where his companion was….after all the blonde needed looking after especially after dark.

* * *

Marik sighed in relief as he felt his muscles relax under the warm water as it cascaded down his back. The blonde slowly lifted his head up letting the water run over his face as it slowly trickled through his hair running down to drip onto the marble floor. Steam rose as the blonde felt his worries flutter away with it, allowing his tense mind to finally have some relaxation.

Bakura had been off the past few weeks, which unnerved Marik to no end. The thief had been keeping to himself lately, sneaking off to brood over something. Even as they spoke to each other, Bakura seemed to be in a world all his own and Marik had begun to feel more than a little concerned over it. He couldn't help but want to know what it was that was bothering the man and why he was acting so secretive of it.

_I don't know why I'm so stressed out about it….It's not like I tell him everything._

The thought hung in Marik's mind for a few moments. It suddenly occurred to him that he knew more things about the thief than the man himself knew. It wasn't like he had planned it that way…After all he had been more than willing to tell the thief the new information that he had come across especially since it was about the man's father. However each time he tried to bring it up or say something about it, Felix would interrupt him and give him a glare that froze him from saying anything further.

More or less he was beginning to suspect that this was some part of the cat's game…plan...or…Whatever the hell it is.

Marik sighed as he ran his hands through his hair in a calming manner. He felt somewhat guilty…He hadn't told Bakura anything about himself. The man had lived with him for over a month now and yet he hadn't told him a single thing. He was somewhat surprised that the thief hadn't simply interrogated him and asked him why the hell he couldn't just have a decent night's sleep. Instead Bakura had been comforting him each night, whispering soothing words and had never once complained to him about any of it. Each day he had awoken to the sound of light snores beside him while warm arms held him in a reassuring and protective manner.

His face warmed at the memory.

_W-What's wrong with me?_

He thought as he shook his head to rid himself of the feeling.

_He's just being a good companion…That's all there is to it._

He told himself as he tied a towel around his waist before turning towards a table near the doorway where he had set his clothes.

* * *

Bakura sighed as he walked throughout the corridors.

"Where could he be?" He mumbled. _Usually he's in the bed by now…._

The thief briefly wondered as he walked through the hall, looking into each entranceway searching for his companion. He passed by a few doorways until he heard a slight dripping noise, curious he followed the sound of the noise until he came across another entranceway. He poked his head in to investigate and he was greeted with a sight that slightly surprised him, he had found Marik with nothing on but a towel tied around his waist.

Bakura couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the blonde, his hair sleek and dripping wet with water as it clung slightly to his face and neck. Droplets slowly shifting down his thin but toned frame as it went down the back of his neck and down his back.

Bakura swallowed, his throat dry as he noticed the markings that the boy had on his back, which were outlined in a beautiful black that complemented the blonde's skin tone which made it even more difficult for him to tear his gaze away.

Suddenly the blonde turned towards the doorway, only to see the edge of a red robe drifting away rather quickly.

_Or perhaps there's more to it than I thought…._

Marik thought as his eyes widened in shock.

* * *

_I hope Marik's doing alright._

Isis thought as she walked throughout the multiple corridors that led to her quarters.

She sighed in relief as she turned her back against the door as she closed it. The past month had been rather hectic since the Pharaoh started causing an uproar in the kingdom. Many people disliked the new decrees of taxes and now the next one she had a feeling was going to be a lot worse. She had a feeling that Seto was going to have kittens if he wasn't already.

_Seto….I'm sorry to put you in a position like this. I truly wish there was a way to help you through this. I know the Pharaoh is just doing what he thinks is best for our Kingdom but now I'm starting to have doubts about his plans. It's somewhat disconcerting; I'll often ask the necklace for the future outcome, however it is clouded by interference from the Millennium Puzzle. I have a feeling the King is hiding something from us all…What it is only Ra knows._

She thought as she moved towards her bed, sitting on it while taking off her headdress and setting it aside on her bedside table.

_I know I promised my loyalty but…..how can all this pain being caused to the people of Egypt have anything to do with saving my brother? Innocent people are going to pay for something that has absolutely nothing to do with them….Perhaps Seto was right to be concerned about Atem._

Isis' eyes widened as she thought through it all until something seemed to click.

"He wouldn't…." She gasped as she put her hand over her mouth, as if she were about to be sick.

_That would explain it…..Atem's laughter at having his people hate him, the way he's been pushing Seto away, the way he's been interfering with my being able to see the future with the necklace. He's going to turn against us all…_

Isis gasped as tears started to leak from her eyes.

_That's what this next decree will do….totally cripple the people under his will….He plans to purge Seto completely…How could I not see this before?_

Her body trembled in despair at the thought…She needed to get to Seto before the Pharaoh did.

* * *

Bakura's heart and mind raced in confusion as he tried to calm his breathing and shake off the heat that refused to leave his face. He swore that if Marik caught him like this….he had a feeling that the blonde would never let him live it down. Bakura froze as he heard footsteps coming down the hall, in a slight panic he merely stood against the wall, holding his head down so that his hair hid his pink tinted face.

Marik, now dressed in his robes, slowly strolled into the room without so much as a word. He was still slightly in shock that Bakura had caught him like that…not only that but his face completely refused to cool off, he just knew that he was blushing which didn't make matters any better.

He slowly let out a breath that he didn't know that he was holding when he saw Bakura somewhat hiding in a corner with his head lowered. He was somewhat relieved that they were in the same boat. He sighed as he noticed the tension in the air, Bakura was obviously very uneasy. Marik feeling like he should do or say something moved closer to the silver-haired man and gently spoke his name.

"Bakura…..are you ok?" the blonde asked.

"I-I'm Perfectly Fine." The white-haired boy stuttered, tilting his head to look upward at the ceiling, acting as if the question was completely ludicrous.

Marik had to suppress a laugh at the shaky tone and defiant pose; it was somewhat hilarious. The Great Thief King was reduced to nothing more than an adorable stuttering mess. He felt somewhat proud that he was the one who had caused such a reaction from the man.

"Bakura…" Marik chuckled slightly as he reached up to run his hand through the thief's hair.

Bakura, feeling slightly confused, slowly moved his head to look at the boy as the blonde played with his hair. The silver-haired boy's eyes widened as he was suddenly wrapped into a hug. Marik moving his head to lean against Bakura's shoulder, he could feel the other tense slightly in his hold as he stayed there for a few moments listening to Bakura's heartbeat before moving back, breaking the hug.

Marik merely grinned at the dumbstruck thief before taking his hand in his.

"Come on….It's time to go to sleep."

* * *

Atem gasped for breath as he jumped out of his sleep, bringing his body to sit up even before he was fully conscious.

_So, He's starting to remember….That's sooner than I thought he would._

Atem sighed as he slowly reached over to his bedside reaching for the Millennium Puzzle, which glowed softly.

_Interesting…This falls perfectly into my plan._ Atem smiled slightly as he silently thanked the gods for his good fortune.

_Now's the perfect time to send out my next decree…._

Atem's eyes suddenly filled with sadness. He was happy that his plan was working however it saddened him to think that he had to pit himself against everyone he cared dearly about.

_I'm sorry Seto….but this is for the greater good. I hope you'll be able to forgive me after all this is over._

The King wearily hung his head as he grabbed the quill on his desk as he started to eloquently jot down his next announcement.

* * *

Seto sighed as he just lied on his bed, running his hands through his hair in aggravation, making the brown locks stick out in all directions.

The brunette hadn't been able to get any sleep over the past month. Every week, the Pharaoh seemed to have a new law or announcement of some sort to his people. These new rules were anything but fair to the people chaining them helplessly into the never ending tirade that was becoming collection of their taxes. People started to riot in the streets, honest people that he had spoken with and had a rather good understanding with started to lose their homes and ended up on the streets becoming beggars. Seto, tossed and turned ideas in his mind, trying to find a way to convince his King that he needed to stop but with each excuse Seto would come up with, Atem had several of his own reasons for treating his people this way.

All this only caused Seto more work, in trying to enforce such ridiculous rulings. Outwardly he looked to be ever-so-loyal to his King….However in his heart he knew he was turning away from his once beloved ruler. He started to harbor harsh feelings of betrayal towards Atem, he couldn't help but to continue to question the young man's motives for his actions.

Seto clenched his fists in anger as he heard the announcement horns being blown, something that he felt was becoming a little too routine. He listened carefully as he steeled his heart as he prepared himself, waiting for the soldier to speak the newest proclamation.

"Fair people of Thebes…I'm honored to announce on this fine day a new decree from the King."

The man called as he unrolled the parchment in his hand, clearing his throat before he began reading.

"In light of the latest riots that have been plaguing our city and due to various people refusing to pay their debts in taxes, I, The Pharaoh…The Morning and Evening Star over all Egypt Proclaim that any one refusing or unable to pay be thrown into the dungeon to await judgment. I also decree that any one speaking of treason within my Kingdom shall face immediate arrest and be tortured until death."

Seto's heart jumped in his throat as the words assaulted his ears, He quickly stood to look out the balcony to make sure that it wasn't some imposter pretending to be a member of the royal guard. Unfortunately, that candle of hope quickly burned out as he recognized the man.

"The King has also given me and my men several instructions to make sure that all citizens understand that his word is law." The man stated before he called at the other guards.

"Bring them out."

Suddenly a group of four men, two women and a small boy in shackles were brought out in front of the guard, followed by a man wearing an executioner's uniform.

_No…._

Seto begged in his mind, his body frozen stiff as his eyes widened, twitching back and forth uncontrollably, his heart beating with panic.

"These seven, have refused to do as they were ordered to by the King and therefore their punishment is Death!"

The executioner merely looked over the seven before pulling out his blade, a curved sword….something that was perfect for beheading or slicing throats.

One by one each prisoner fell….Seto more horrified by each death until the guard made his way over to the young boy. The boy had started to cry silent tears as they slid down his face as he cowered bringing his body into a crouch as if he was trying to make himself so small that perhaps the guard couldn't see.

Seto looked away as the guard lifted his sword against the boy. Unable to watch the horrific display any longer, he shook with great grief and anger as hateful tears slid down his face. How could his king order the death of people so lightly? How could his King murder an innocent child as a means of intimidation?

This was wrong….So very wrong.

He yelled out in anger as he quickly got dressed in his commoner's clothes, grabbing a knife as he began ripping apart his priest robes, dicing them in any way imaginable as red covered his vision with a rage that overwhelmed him.

He hurriedly put his Millennium Rod onto his side, slipping it between the fabric of his sash and sarong as he hid his dagger in his sleeve of his robe. It was time that he confronted the man that had ordered this unnecessary bloodshed.

* * *

"ATEM!" Seto yelled as he slammed open the doors to the great Throne room as he glared towards the source of his anger.

"Seto, What is the meaning of this?" Atem asked regally looking slightly shaken by the yelling brunette.

"You…." Seto ground between his teeth. "You Monster…." He started moving closer towards the throne only to be held back by two guards holding him back by his arms and shoulders.

Seto hissed in pain as he continued to move against the men, one arm reaching out towards the Pharaoh. His rage and will power forcing his body to continue to struggle against the men before he punched one in the gut making him double over in pain before bringing his knee to hit the other where the sun didn't shine.

"You murdered them…." Seto spoke as his eyes hardened into a freezing blue, giving the former-priest a murderous look.

"They were trash…" The Pharaoh stated casually as if he were discussing the weather. "They didn't follow my laws and for that they had to be punished." He spoke as he stood from his throne.

Seto quickly grabbed his Millennium Rod as he pointed it at the man before him.

"You killed a child."

"It was simply a warning…people seem to listen better when they see how far I'll go to keep them from revolting….and if a few children die here and there. What's a few lost sheep compared to the wolves? Isn't that the way the world works Seto? The weak die while the strong survive?

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!" Seto yelled as he summoned his power into the Rod as he tried to probe into the man's mind and heart….Only to be stopped by a golden light coming from the King's Puzzle.

"Seto….Seto….Seto….I had so hoped that you would see things my way." Atem tutted as he moved closer to the brunnette, freezing him with his Puzzle's power.

"I should've known that your soft-hearted ways would have gotten the better of you. I should've realized that that heart of yours would betray me the moment I knew you had sympathy for criminals."

He shook his head as he stood before the taller man who was struggling to get out of his hold.

"So now here we are….You're a traitor Seto…..You heard the decree…What do we do with traitors?"

The man asked as the two guards rose to their feet, making their way to hold the former-priest in place.

"You're the traitor…" Seto snarled as the young King took the Rod out of his possession.

"Am I really Seto?...Because the only traitor I see right now is you." Atem smirked as he started to walk back towards his throne.

"If you think that just because you took the Rod means I'm powerless…." Atem turned to face Seto as his face giving a look of shock as a purple aura surrounded the tall man. "You're sorely mistaken….."

* * *

**Holy Crap! This Chapter is finally finished! Yay!**

After so much Real Life Stresses and annoyances that kept me from being able to work on this story...I finally finished it. I'm so happy. I believe that this the longest Chapter I've written so far for this Story. Yay for Milestones! XD

I don't know...Ya'll just forgive me for being totally random with that.

Alright Back to business...

Bakura is starting to gain some memories in dream form...Marvelous.

Shower-scene...Totally happened. XD

Aww...isn't Bakura just adorable? Or is Marik the adorable one here? *shrugs* (I guess they both are.)

Seto being a total Badass. (When isn't he a total Badass?) I'm totally rooting for Seto...Evil Atem needs to go down.

Meanwhile Isis is racing against time to rescue Seto...(Though I think she'll be a little late to the party...So to speak.)

Thanks Ya'll...I hope you like it.

Please Read and Review...Reviews make me happy enough to stay up into the wee hours of the morning to write. :D

**Also I'd like to dedicate this Chapter to FanGirl16, Thanks to your Marvelous Review I felt a renewed interest in writing this Fanfic. Your kind words really helped me get through the tireless hours of writer's block that I had encountered. So Thank you for everything. I'm so glad that you took the time to write something so nice about this story. I shall try my best to continue to entertain you along with the rest of my readers out there. ^_^. Also I think that your review is the best one thus far That I've received from this story. I hope that I will continue to hear from you as the journey of this story continues. :D**


	10. Chapter 10

The dark figure smirked as he looked through his hosts eyes. He hadn't anticipated the thief finding the magical doorway, which was fine with him. If the man found a way to open it, he would be eternally grateful. It would make things so much easier for him, he would be able to take over his hosts body with hardly any problem. Once that barrier opened, Marik wouldn't have the strength to fight against him. Of course his other half had no idea how the barrier had actually been created. The boy, unable to accept that he had murdered his father in that very room, had mentally channeled the dark energy that flowed through him and separated the two aspects before him, furthering the split between the boy and the alter himself.

_It's interesting though….._ The man thought as he felt his dominate personality's thoughts and feelings.

_Bakura…..nobody has made a dent in that barrier or even noticed it besides you….You are a very interesting character. Is that why Felix lead Marik to you? Does she know something that we simply do not? Or was it your father that sensed our personality was unstable even back then?_

The blonde sighed as he ran his hair through the unkempt spikes.

_So Felix….What's your plan? You've always seemed to be a detriment to me….calming him and preventing me from slipping through the cracks of his subconscious while he's awake. Then you calm him even as he sleeps. But now you bring a man that's a total game changer…..could it be that you're trying to save us?_

The man laughed bitterly as he walked around in the darkness of his soul room. He felt a wave of calmness wash over him as he sat down in a chair he had willed to appear. His heart ached a bit, he shook his head as he patted his chest, leaning back in his chair.

_"So that's how it is…is it?" _The dark doppelganger murmured as his lighter self appeared in front of him.

_How what is?_ Marik asked looking at his dark self suspiciously, he had gotten used to having these nighttime conversations however that didn't mean that it didn't unnerve him.

The doppelganger looked over at his host in mild surprise; he hadn't expected Marik to just speak to him so casually. He chuckled to himself, he was somewhat amused at how much Marik was starting to change around him and if the ache in his heart had anything to do with it…he was starting to think that the lines that divided them were already starting to blur somewhat.

_"Your shield….."_ The man muttered as he stood, making the chair fade into non-existence.

Marik looked confused for a moment, sporting a puzzled expression until a light bulb went off in his head.

_You mean Bakura? _ Marik asked incredulously before his eyes flashed into suspicious slits.

_What about him?... You better not be thinking of hurting him!_ Marik spat, his expression determined as his eyes held a blazing fury just waiting to be unleashed.

The dark man held his neutral expression despite the fact that he was taken aback with the boy's sudden outburst. For a split second he swore he could see himself in the darkest depths of the amethyst that now glared at him.

_Could he really be the one?..._

The alter thought.

_Could Bakura really be the one to make us whole again? Can he make Marik strong enough to stand on his own two feet? Can he tear down the wall that divides us?_

The thought slightly frightened yet excited him to his core. On one hand he would be able to reconnect with his other half yet at the same time the thought slightly unnerved him, he was unsure if Marik would really be able to survive without him.

_That's why I'm here after all…to take the brunt of everything that's too much for him. I need to take over this body….he's too weak to protect himself. Just like that night…._

The being felt enraged at the thought but quickly contained his emotions, gaining a sense of composure before returning his attention to the blonde boy before him.

_"Why are you so protective of him?"_ His darker self asked with a smirk.

_Huh?_ Marik blinked a few times at the sudden question, his anger dissipating as he was caught off guard.

_"You've been worried about him haven't you?"_ His twin asked with a softness to his voice that the blonde hadn't heard before.

_How did you? _Marik asked wide-eyed as pink tinted his features.

_"I'm you….remember?"_ The man spoke as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared right in front of him, his hand touching the blonde's chest where the boy's heart lay.

_"I can feel what you feel."_ The wild-haired blonde whispered.

Marik immediately jumped away from the touch, feeling frightened by the closeness of the other being as he visibly shivered and shook.

The darker being merely sighed as he looked at his right hand, the one that had felt the other's chest, nothing was different.

_So he isn't ready to accept me yet? He's too frightened of what my half of him holds._

Marik couldn't help but feel that the ghostly figure before him was somewhat disappointed by his reaction. However he couldn't help but feel a bit disturbed just looking at the man. He looked rough and so harsh yet his eyes flickered between malice and genuinely caring. It seemed as if the man before him was trying to remain balanced at all times, trying to be careful not to sway too far into either directions within his personality. At least that's what the dark purple irises reflected into his softer lavender colored ones.

Suddenly, the man gritted his teeth and growled in irritation, jerking his gaze towards the boy, his face contorted into a sinister sneer.

_"I hope you enjoy the use of your body while you have it….cause once I have control, it'll be all over for you and your shield…." _The evil twin laughed as he started walking away, his form dissipating into smoke until there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

Atem gasped in surprise as the purple aura around Seto grew until a bright light shone, blinding him.

_ROOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR_

"BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!" Seto yelled as the creature appeared before him. The large dragon taking flight inside the large room before coming to land beside him looking reading to attack the King by the brunette's command.

"How are you able to do this?...You can summon a creature without a Millennium Item?!" The King asked uneasily as the monster glared at him.

Seto merely glared daggers at the man. "This is what real power looks like….Take a good look Atem, this is the creature that will stop you in your tracks. The power you seek is weak, it comes from driving fear into the hearts of people. The power I have comes from my own strength, nothing else."

Atem simply looked over the angered man before him, taking in his words. He knew he had crossed the line when he had ordered the death of those people. However, he would have to cross so many more in order to achieve his ultimate goal. This was merely one of the harder stepping stones to get there. He had not known Seto was this powerful without the Rod, which had surprised him; However, he had creatures that were just as strong if not stronger than his Dragon.

"The power I seek is weak, huh?" The King laughed as his Millennium Puzzle glowed as it brought forth a giant blue monster to stand before him which appeared in a bolt of lightning.

"So you want it like this? Is this what you really want Seto? To challenge me to a Shadow Game?"

The King smirked as he stood up straight, strong in proud exuding an air of power, as it rolled off him in waves. The creature smirked as well, taking the same stance as its master as it waited for it's orders.

"It is not a matter of wanting to or not. You must be stopped and if this is the only way then so be it." Seto stated shaking his head in anger.

"Spoken like a true man of the people." Atem laughed. "More like a fool, knocking at death's door. But if you want to spend eternity in the Shadows of Hell over an insignificant child, then I'll be more than happy to fulfill that wish." Atem sneered as he held out his hand.

"OBELISK…ATTACK HIS BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!"

Suddenly, the beast moved twisting it's torso to the side as it brought it's hand into a giant god-like fist before torpedoing it forward towards the winged creature.

The dragon dodged, forcing itself to become airborne before roaring and hissing at it's enemy.

"BLUE EYES…..WHITE LIGHTNING!" Seto bellowed.

Electric energy starting gathering itself in the dragon's mouth as it prepared for the massive assault it was about to unleash.  
Obelisk continued it's punching tirade trying to distract the other monster from focusing on building up enough energy to attack. Unfortunately the dragon seemed to be adept at dodging it's attacks and before the creature knew it, electrical spikes went though it's being making it stumble back at the force of it.

Atem didn't look too pleased; it would seem Seto was more powerful than he had thought. He had underestimated his former priest greatly; however it was not a mistake that he couldn't fix.

Suddenly Seto felt a dark aura approaching him, he looked to find that the source was a giant red dragon.

"SLIFER DOUBLE MOUTH ATTACK!"

Seto's eyes widened as two giant energy beams flew towards him, there was nothing he could do. It was too late to call back his Blue Eye's to defend himself as it continued to fight against Obelisk. All he could do was stand in shock as he awaited for the beam to make impact taking not only his life but his soul to the Shadow Realm.

* * *

_BOOM_

The floor shook as Isis stumbled her way down the long corridors of the palace.

"This is bad….Really Bad." She chanted as she ducked for cover as another resounding boom filled the halls.

Seto was beyond pissed. She could not only sense it but she had found his room in tethers when she had initially looked for the Priest. Only to find it full of feathers strewn about, his bed completely ripped to shreds along with bits and pieces of his royal robes here and there for good measure. It had looked like a wild animal had jumped through the window and torn it apart piece by piece. She had run all the way there, jerked the door open only to find a destroyed room. Shortly after she started to run towards the throne room, the blasts started and she was dodging debris as a battle wills began to take place.

Isis felt the need to run faster, something about this wasn't right. She could feel the shadow energy all around her as she sensed for Seto's and Atem's power only to find that the brunette's magic was waning and that Atem's had only increased since she had first sensed them.

_Something isn't right, with their items they should be about equal._

Isis thought as she finally made it to the scene of the battle.

Her eyes widened as she took in the horrific scene before her. Atem was standing proudly in front of his throne, he held the Millennium Rod in his hand waving it as he commanded the two monsters before him. To his right hovered Slifer, the sky dragon and to his left standing tall was Obelisk the tormentor. Her vision looked all over the area seeing debris, chunks and pieces of the ceiling and walls had fallen around them. She willed herself to look across the room to find Seto, gasping for breath as he fell on one knee, trying to remain upright.

"Ah, So you survived that one did you?" Atem spoke mockingly.

Seto coughed a bit before being able to reply. "Yeah…" He laughed slightly. "My Dragon got to me before your blasts did." He coughed again, wincing in pain as he did so.

"Quite ingenious, I never would have guessed that it could've deflected one of the blasts with one of it's own and then fly in to take the other's hit. That was unimaginable, never before has a monster stood so closely to being on equal ground to two of my Egyptian gods. You should be Proud Seto." Atem laughed.

Seto merely chuckled at the thought.

_Some proud person I am….I can't save anyone….Hell I couldn't even save myself._

Tears started to stream down his face as he painfully clenched his fists before punching the ground.

_Why do I always fail at this? First my best friend and now all of Egypt will suffer because I wasn't strong enough! I put up with Bakura thinking I betrayed him, his hatred towards me all for a goal that was foolish to begin with. I allowed for his memories to be erased, I allowed Atem to fool me into thinking that his rule was a righteous one. I was stupid to think that justice would prevail. I was stupid….so stupid._

Seto heaved for breath, his tears and anger making it hard for him to breathe, He coughed as he choked on the silent cries that threatened to come out.

His body was exhausted he could feel his energy depleting, He was only being held up from collapsing was through his will power to at least die with some dignity.

"Farewell Seto." Atem muttered as he pointed towards the man. "Slifer, defeat him with one last blast."

The red dragon roared as it reared it's head back aiming towards the former priest as it charged up for it's final attack.

Once she saw her opportunity, Isis ran. She ran as fast as she could towards the injured man.

"SETO!" She yelled as she ran across the room.

Atem spotted her and inwardly panicked, he hadn't expected Isis to be here. His eyes widened in horror as he turned to look back at his attacking monster. He moved to order the monster to stop but found that it was too late as the beam hurled towards the priestess.

Seto's eyes widened as he turned his head slightly to catch sight of Isis.

_What is she doing?_ He looked confused before it quickly turned into horror filled as he saw the giant blast that was right behind her.

"G-Get…..A-Away." He grunted out, forcing his body to speak, which was followed by coughs which spattered blood on the ground in front of him.

Isis followed his concerned expression to see the blast was heading right for her.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH." She screamed as she ran faster, the blast right on her heels.

"SPIRIA….PROTECT." She called as a winged creature appeared before the blast, using it's arms and hands to hold the blast back somewhat.

The priestess sighed somewhat in relief at the few seconds of extra time and made it over to Seto.

"W-What…. A-are… y-you…d-doing?" He gasped out before he was answered with an incoherent word before everything went black.

* * *

Bakura awoke with a start, eyes wide as he gasped for air trying to catch his breath. He had felt like the wind had been knocked out of him as he looked around for the source of this disturbed feeling he was getting. He could sense something powerful, magical perhaps? He wasn't sure but the air around him felt thick as he tried to steady his breathing.

"Mreow."

The thief turned to see that Felix was looking at him in urgency as if she too knew that something was wrong.

Bakura made to move off the bed but was stopped by a hand gripping his robe.

"B-Bakura…." Marik muttered sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. "Where…." He yawned. "Where are you going?"

"Something doesn't feel right. I'm going to check it out." The white-haired man answered as he gently took the boy's hand off him and set it on the bed.

"Hang on, I'll go with you." Marik said sitting up. "Might be an intruder or something."

Bakura merely nodded as the blonde got up from bed.

The two made their way through the dark corridor that led towards the dungeon entrance.

"It's coming from this way…" Bakura whispered as he pointed towards the doorway.

The blonde nodded as he held onto the thief's shoulders as they walked, looking back and forth to make sure that no one would try to sneak up on them for a surprise attack.

"Alright, I'm opening it on the count of three." The silver-haired man stated as he put his hand against the door.

"Right." Marik answered. "On the count of three."

"ONE…."

"TWO…."

"THREE…"

Bakura's hand pushed the door open, only for the two boys to be blinded by a bright white light.

The two moved back, closing their eyes and shielding them with their hands.

"Geez….What the Hell?" Marik muttered as Bakura mumbled out a string of hissed swears.

After a moment….the two sensed that the light was gone.

Bakura was the first to open his eyes, blinking them as he regained his eyesight blur by blur. When it finally returned to normal clarity his eyes widened to find a woman falling towards him. He moved to quickly catch her before she hit the floor but found that she was heavier than expected. That's when he noticed the unconscious man whose arm had been slung over her shoulder in an attempt to keep him upright.

"What the…?" He mumbled.

Marik quickly rubbed his eyes, making them adjust as he saw the woman that was now held in Bakura's arms.

"Isis?" he muttered as he looked to her side to see the unconscious priest.

"Seto?" Bakura mumbled as he took in the condition of the two people that had fallen into him.

"Please…." Isis gasped, wincing as she looked up into the thief's eyes. "Help…us." She muttered before her eyes fluttered shut as she passed out.

* * *

**Thanks for Reading**

**I hope everyone enjoyed it! :) Hope ya'll have a nice day, night or whenever you happen to be reading this!**

**Please Leave a Review and tell me what you think! ^_^**


	11. Chapter 11

Marik's heart hammered in his chest as he took in the unconscious form of his sister. It had been a few hours since the two had appeared and they were yet to wake up. When he had seen his sister collapse into Bakura's arms, He had immediately frozen in a mixture of shock and anger. What had happened to his sister? Wasn't she supposed to be safe in the palace? Not to mention the horrible condition Seto was in, he supposed he should praise the gods that his sister wasn't in the same condition. But right now as he sat down at her bedside in her old room, he couldn't help but feel anger and worry overpower him. Once he knew who did this they would most surely pay.

* * *

Bakura could feel Seto's energy fading as he set the man down, bringing the unconscious body to lay down comfortably…or at least he hoped it was…on the bed. He sighed once he was relieved of the weight, it had been hard carrying both the man and the woman into their respective rooms. He couldn't help but wonder about the blonde as he began to try to use his magic to help the priest's wounds to heal.

_I wonder if Marik's alright. He's been silent since he saw that girl…..what did he call her?... Isis? I wonder how he knows her._

He sighed as he willed his magic to stop when he sensed Seto's energy return to normal before moving to clean and bandage the man. He supposed he would have to ask Marik about the woman.

He couldn't help but smile, perhaps this was a perfect opportunity to learn more about Marik. He hadn't been able to get any info out of the blonde…but then again he didn't know exactly how to ask without making the boy go into a catatonic state. Maybe this Isis would know a thing or two.

Bakura was brought out of his thought by a low grunt of pain.

"Sorry…." The white-haired man whispered as he put his hand on Seto's head before feeling his own with his other hand.

_Well, he doesn't seem to have a fever….That's good._

Bakura had been rather surprised to find Seto with the strange woman, covered in blood and tattered clothing. He had noticed that he was wearing the same thing he had worn before when they had met him in the bar. He was curious to know what had caused such horrid conditions to befall the two. Perhaps someone attacked them while they were relaxing on a day off? For some reason that just didn't seem right to him. Seto was far too angry and used large amounts of energy and still took a beating that spelled defeat. No, this opponent wasn't just any ordinary person. It seemed like Bakura had a lot of questions for the two when they woke up.

_Not to mention, the questions I'll have to ask him about my past. I know he knows more than he's letting on….I can feel it. But why would you lie to me Seto…If we really were friends like my dreams suggest. Why would you pretend that you knew me as only a criminal?_

Bakura merely sighed as he looked up at the brunettes face, finished with his handiwork and deciding that he needed to get the man some new clothes, turned to leave. He needed to see how Marik and Isis were doing.

_I'll figure this all out, once they wake up I can get some answers._

* * *

Bakura couldn't help but feel tension surrounding the girl's bedroom. He could feel anger and concern coming off of Marik in waves. Not wanting to upset the blonde further, the white-haired boy entered the room unannounced, quietly sliding down in a chair beside the blonde as the boy stared down at the woman, His eyes filled with tears that streamed down his face, covering the dry trails and creating new ones in their place. Bakura slowly looked back over the sleeping form. The woman looked peaceful as she slept and most notably she wasn't injured, merely covered in dirt and soot. That's when he saw something glow from the corner of his eye.

_What's that?_

He wondered as he looked over the necklace adorning the woman's neck. It was a brilliant gold that despite being covered in dirt, still shone with a slight brilliance in the dimly lit room. The item seemed to be pulling at him, making him want to reach out and take it. It intrigued him to say the least, not to mention he felt that the item was something he had been looking for before….however, he couldn't place it in his mind to where it would make the slightest bit of sense. Until he saw a flash of what he thought was a golden liquid pouring into something….like a cauldron. But before he could fully grasp the vision, it disappeared. He shook his head to rid himself of the image….feeling slightly uneasy at the flicker of a memory. However he was happy to have at least some clues to go off of….it was better than aimlessly trying to figure it out completely in the dark.

Biting down the feelings, and curiosity that the item held, he brought his gaze back to his companion.

He nearly jumped when he noticed the blonde was doubled over in his chair, grabbing his head and breathing heavily.

"Marik…?" He asked gently as he put a hand on the blonde's shoulder only to have it shaken off.

"Don't touch me." The blonde hissed as his hands kneaded at his hair making it stick out between his fingers as the tips of his fingers pushed into his scalp. The boy's face contorted in pain as he suddenly jerked out of the chair, making it fall backwards onto the floor as he landed on his knees in agony. Silent tears still streaming down his face.

"Please…." He whispered. "Don't do this…."

"Marik, What's wrong?" Bakura asked, concern lacing his voice as he kneeled down beside the blonde, unsure of what to do.

* * *

_"So you've finally let your guard down enough….haven't you?"_ The doppelganger laughed as he fought to gain control. He could feel that he was breaking to the surface and he could taste his freedom at last.

_Please stop…_ The boy begged as he tried to fight against the darkness that was enveloping him.

_"You can't handle anymore….I'm taking control now."_ The man snickered.

_No….Don't do this!_ Marik whimpered. _Bakura….Help me._

_"Bakura doesn't even know what's going on."_ The dark man mused. _"You want so badly for him to know you and yet…you don't. Are you afraid that he won't accept you? That he wouldn't want to be anywhere near you if he knew the truth? It's not the memories that make you freeze up Marik. It's your own fear. If you don't even accept yourself….how do you expect others to do so?" _He laughed.

Marik merely cried, knowing that what the man said was true but wanting to deny it just the same. He was trapped in an argument within himself and he was losing. He could feel his control slipping with each word the man spoke. His mind was being filled with numbing cold darkness before he eventually felt himself sink into it and fell into unconsciousness.

_"But don't worry Marik….I'll make all that pain go away, I'll wrap you in my cold embrace and make sure nothing can touch you. You'll be trapped in your safe place while I'm in control. That way nothing can harm you ever again."_ The wild-haired man mumbled as he felt himself come into the forefront of the shared mind.

_"Not even Felix can stop me now."_ He mused before he came into control of the body.

* * *

Bakura looked wide-eyed at the boy as his eyes dulled and his body fell forward. The man quickly moved to catch the blonde. He stayed completely still for a few moments before moving to lift the boy and carried him to their sleeping quarters. He wasn't sure what to make of this little episode. He had never seen Marik look so contorted in absolute agony; it had looked like the boy was fighting within himself against something that the white-haired boy himself couldn't see.

He sighed as he laid the boy on the bed, feeling his head for a sign of a fever. He was slightly warm to the touch, Bakura quickly moved to grab a cloth, moving to the underground well to cover it with water before coming back and setting the now cool cloth on the boy's head.

"That should help." Bakura muttered as he sat next to the blonde, watching the boy's face for any indication of awareness.

The thief moved a little, fidgeting slightly before moving to stand up and pace around the room. He was worried, concerned for his companion.

_I hope he's going to be ok…._ He thought to himself before shaking his head._ Of course he's going to be ok….It's only a little fever._ He berated himself for being so silly before another thought hit him.

_But what about that fit he had before he collapsed….That could be a cause for concern._

Bakura turned to look over Marik once again as the boy slowly breathed in and out, looking calm as he slept. Suddenly he noticed Felix making her way over to the boy, her tail twitching in irritation as she sniffed at the boy before hissing and backing away.

"What's wrong with you Felix?" He asked as he moved to grab the angry looking cat and held her to him, petting her on the head.

Felix merely looked up at him before rubbing her head against his chin, squirming slightly in his arms before looking at the boy once more. Bakura followed her gaze and immediately the air in the room felt different. Something about Marik seemed slightly off to him, his energy wasn't normal. It seemed somewhat darker.

"Is that what you were hissing about?" He muttered as he continued to stare at the sleeping blonde.

Felix merely licked his hand as if to answer him before jumping down from him and moving to a far corner of the room, watching Marik from afar.

* * *

Atem supposed that this was why people always told him to expect the unexpected because he hadn't seen that coming. He supposed that there was no possible way for him to know that Isis had sympathized with Seto and would decide to jump in front of a giant blast in order to use a spell to save the priest. However it went along with his plan anyway so it would work out, he figured. After all he hadn't really planned on finishing Seto off. Otherwise this little scheme of his wouldn't work. He needed absolutely everyone in Egypt including Seto to hate him if he wanted this plan of his to work. He absolutely hated the bloodshed, however he figured that it wouldn't be long until he would atone for his sins.

"With this plan, I shall atone for the sins of my family and in the end justice will finally be served." He muttered as he made his way over to his bedroom balcony overlooking the capital city.

_Sorry for using you like this Seto, as if you are simply a pawn. However when this is all over….you shall be rewarded for all of this trouble._

Atem smiled as he thought about how perfect his gift was for the former-priest.

"As for you, Bakura and Marik…I'll be waiting to see the two of you. It'll be a meeting to die for." He laughed as he looked towards the fading sun as it disappeared over the horizon.

* * *

"What happened?" Isis mumbled as she sat up rubbing her head in pain.

She blinked her eyes a few times before focusing in on her surroundings, she instantly recognized the room as her own and slightly relaxed, remembering how she had transported them to her old home. She groaned out of humiliation as she recalled her first meeting with the thief as she had helplessly begged for help before pitifully collapsing onto him.

_Damn it! How embarrassing…I can't believe I did that! It's just sooo cliché….The damsel falls into the arms of an unsuspecting hero. That sounds like some fantasy someone came up with…..oh Ra…Why do I have to give off the most unfavorable first impressions?_

Suddenly she was torn out of her thoughts of lost pride and dignity as she sensed that something was wrong. However it wasn't the first time she sensed something like this.

"Marik?" She gasped as she moved to get off the bed. Her legs felt like heavy lead as she attempted to make her way towards her brother's room before collapsing down onto the floor only five feet away from her bed.

* * *

Bakura sighed as he made his way through the corridor, he was relieved to find that there were more robes and sarongs stashed in one of the extra rooms, apparently at one time there had been many tomb-keepers living in here besides Marik. He would have to investigate that more later on once he figured out what was going on with the blonde. He had wanted to go steal some new clothes from the market for everyone….however with this new development with the weird aura the boy was giving off…he felt too concerned to leave the underground domicile. After all, What if the blonde needed him?

He moved quietly as he approached Seto's room, looking in before fully entering to check and see if the man was awake yet. Whenever the man didn't move or speak, he continued to move towards the man before setting the clean clothes down on the bedside table beside him.

_At least he'll have something clean to wear when he wakes up._

Bakura thought as he looked over the man once more before moving back out the room to go check on Isis.

As he made his way down the corridor, he slowly became able to hear someone talking. He moved hurriedly towards the source of the voice, only to hear a chant of "Oh no." and "Damn it."

When he finally reached the room, he found that Isis was no longer in her bed but instead was sprawled out on the floor reaching her hands towards the door as if she was planning on crawling to wherever the hell she was planning to go. He found the scene somewhat unnerving yet comical at the same time as a smirk reached his lips.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" He asked as he entered the room, motioning to help her get back up.

Isis looked up at the man and inwardly groaned in embarrassment.

"I wanted to see my brother." She said sheepishly as the man kneeled beside her, grabbing her hand and lifting her to sit up before bringing her to lean on him as he lifted her legs to where he was carrying her and set her back on the bed.

"Your brother?" He muttered as he brought his hand to his chin in thought before realization dawned on him.

_So that's why Marik looked concerned over her….She's his sister?_

"You mean Marik?" He asked as he looked down at her.

She nodded. "I'm Isis Ishtar, Marik's sister and you must be Bakura." She smiled.

"Y-Yeah…." Bakura muttered as he stared at the girl wide-eyed. "How did you?"

"Oh, I've been keeping my eye on you for a few months now Bakura and I know everything." She stated in a serious tone. Sure she hadn't been able to see the future outcome but that didn't mean that she couldn't look into recent events.

"What?" Bakura muttered completely confused.

"You love my brother don't you?" she asked with a cat-like grin as the man stumbled and stuttered for an answer.

"It's ok….you don't have to say anything I already know." She stated before her tone turned more serious. "We'll have time for that discussion later, right now Marik is in danger."

"In danger?" Bakura muttered before he looked into blue eyes. "Does this have something to do with that weird energy that's surrounding him?"

"Yes, we need to do something about that and quick before-"

"Before what Sis?" a dark but not completely unfamiliar voice asked.

* * *

**Well, Here's Chapter 11. I finally got it done!**

So I hope you all enjoy it.

Isis has awakened...

Atem's waiting for a killer meeting...

Bakura's trying to figure everything out...while taking care of everyone.

Holy cow...Evil Marik has joined the party!

Thanks for reading, Please leave a review with your thoughts. Thanks for all the encouraging reviews and welcome to those who are new to following this story, I hope I entertain you all. XD

**Hey Vienamarie, I was wondering where you had gotten to. ^_^ I'm sorry about your computer troubles, I'm glad that you're able to access it through this site. I'm glad that you're liking it so far and I hope I continue to entertain and delight you with this story. **

**-ShadowGUN101 **


	12. Chapter 12

The man smirked as he entered the room, noting the slight gasp that came from his sister as he took in her appearance and frowned.

_So this is what drove him to be so angry…..Isis….did that bastard do this to you? Isn't it bad enough our family was tortured for the sake of that man of power?_

He shook his head of the thoughts, He needed to focus right now and letting his anger overcome him was not a part of his plans, he would take care of the Pharoah soon enough but first things first. He wanted to see for himself what kind of a man Bakura was….What made his other self so conflicted about sharing his past?...and was Bakura someone he would allow his weaker side to get any closer to? After all the thief was here because of his lost memories….who's to say that he wouldn't change once he regained those memories as well as leave taking the remaining pieces of Marik's already shattered soul with him.

* * *

Bakura looked over at Marik in slight confusion, he had never seen the blonde look so unlike himself. The man before him held an aura of dark power that held an air of confidence and danger. He could tell this much by the way the man held himself as he sauntered into the room. His hair was a spiky mess that seemed to stand on end as if it had a will of its own. Even what he was wearing was different, the man was wearing nothing but a sarong and his purple cloak as if it were a cape, showing off his chest. Overall, this man looked nothing like Marik and yet he looked exactly like him at the same time.

The white-haired man moved slightly forward drawing the blonde's attention.

"Marik, are you alright?" He asked, unsure of what was going on.

"Bakura, get away from him. He looks like him but he's not Marik!" Isis yelled out, the woman staring daggers at the caped man before them.

Marik rolled his eyes and let a low growl past his lips as he glared back at the woman, sending her his own violet daggers.

Bakura backed away for a second, looking over the man before him, before shaking his head and moved forward again until he was face to face with the man.

Marik hadn't expected it and backed up a bit, no one had willingly gotten so close to him, the man looked him dead in the eyes. Steely gray looked into his dark burgundy, the Thief's expression serious and searching to find something that seemed to be hidden in the depths of his eyes. After a few moments Bakura moved back before grinning and putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"You look really different, but you're still Marik." Bakura chuckled.

Marik looked at him in confusion, his features softening slightly as he stood there in shock.

"What do you mean he's Marik?" Isis shouted from her bed her eyes moving back and forth between the two. "That man, isn't anything like my brother…He's completely different."

Marik scowled, shrugging Bakura's hand off his shoulder. His features regaining their harshness as his countenance returned to one of pure hatred. The man's aura flared at the comment and Bakura began to feel slightly uneasy.

"Fine…I'm not him. Never will be either, He's a weak fool who can't take care of himself. At least I'm strong enough to stand my ground and protect myself." Marik spat.

"It's your fault he can't protect himself after all you're the one causing most of the problems. Why can't you just leave my brother alone?!" Isis shrieked at him throwing a pillow at the man's head.

Marik merely smirked at her pitiful attempt at hurting him. He looked at her, taking in her threatening expression and started to laugh before striding towards her stopping right in front of her face.

"Are you sure it's wise to do something like that? Especially after the last time you saw me…..I suggest that if you don't want to end up like him, you should quit while you're ahead." He stated lowly before backing off a bit to take in her slightly horrified expression.

"Marik…." Bakura muttered as he came to stand right behind the blonde, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from Isis and the room that they were currently in.

* * *

"So are you Marik or not?" Bakura asked as he sat down on the bed, looking up at the man across the room. He had brought them to Marik's room in order to be able to talk to the man on calm terms, without Isis yelling and the two arguing with their angered aura's that unnerved him. He couldn't understand why but that kind of energy set him on edge and with the way that Felix was sitting in the corner with a frizzed up tail, he could tell she felt the same way.

The man sighed as he looked over the room and then at the white haired man, taking note of the feline in the corner, at least she wasn't hissing at him like she had when he had first woke up. He smirked as he replied.

"And why would you want to know that?"

"You're obviously not the Marik I know however your eyes tell me that you are him. Well part of him anyway. I'd like to know what you would like to be called." Bakura replied.

"I see…" Marik muttered as he looked down at the floor.

_No one's ever asked me that before…..then again they all assume I'm some devil who's possessed this body but Bakura….you're so different. Is this why Marik trusts you so much?_

The blonde quickly shook himself out of those thoughts.

"To keep it simple….You may call me Malik. That way there is no confusion between us." The man stated before quickly gliding across the room to be a breath away from Bakura's face. Their noses nearly touching as he stared down into the thief's eyes threateningly as he held a knife to the man's neck.

"But make no mistake; I'm most certainly as dangerous as everyone says I am."

Bakura merely sat still as he looked deep into those dark violet eyes. He could see so many emotions swirling in them. Anger, hatred, concern, protectiveness and if he even looked hard enough he could see a slight glimmer of sadness. These eyes were so different yet so familiar. Sometimes Marik's eyes would hold such fury or such utter sadness, he supposed that those two qualities were something that the two shared. Well that and threatening him with a knife.

Bakura sighed before he tilted his head slightly, moving away from the blade at his throat before moving his hand to grasp around Malik's arm and gently move it away from him.

"I expect that you'll keep me on my toes until the other Marik returns."

Malik only stared at the man before him before rearing his head back as laughter rang throughout the room.

"Sorry, but your companion won't be coming back." Malik muttered as he moved to sit down in a chair across the room.

"Wait….What do you mean he won't be back?" Bakura asked glaring at the blonde.

"I've taken control of this body and I'm not planning on giving it back." Malik sneered.

The white-haired man's eyes widened. "So while you're in control, where's Marik?"

"Oh don't worry he's nice and safe in here." He said as he brought a finger to his temple, tapping it gently.

* * *

Marik grunted as he turned over, grabbing the sheets and pulling them closer to him. For some reason it was rather cold and he knew it was probably time for him to get up but he just wanted to go back to sleep. After a few minutes of being cursed to stay awake and freeze to death he moved his hand outward searching for his companion.

"Bakura…." He mumbled sleepily.

When he didn't get a reply, he sat up blinking his eyes several times as his vision adjusted. He looked to his side and found that his partner was not there. He slowly started to get this feeling that he was all alone. Startled by the chills running up and down his spine, he looked around to find that he was not in his bedroom. The three walls that he was facing were completely covered in writings and etchings, each having to do with guarding or serving loyally to kings. He turned to find that the wall behind him were covered in his own hand writing, on one side of the wall the writing was neat and put together and the further over he looked the more erratic the writing became as if someone had written all the ramblings and ravings in a fury. The most etched out word that he could decipher was: "Why?"

Marik slowly began to shake as he came to realize that these had been his thoughts when he had been learning about being a tombkeeper.

Why did he have to be trapped underground?

Why did he have to be all alone in the darkness?

Why did he have to get a carved imprint on his back showing that he belonged to someone other than himself?

Marik sighed as he looked at the wall, he absolutely hated it here, wherever here was. He looked around to find a door but there wasn't any door or window.

"Nowhere for me to escape to." Marik laughed nervously. This is the kind of thing he had been trying to run away from, these thoughts and feelings that bothered him to no end. The same thoughts and feelings that led to his hatred and anger at the Pharaoh for ordering this inhumane torture and his father for carrying out the evil curse that was this marking on his back.

Marik couldn't help but think.

_And That's exactly why I'm here…_

His heart sank as he came to terms with where he truly was. He was no longer in the world, for now he was trapped within his own mind. His darker self had gained control of his body and had sent him to his soul room. A room that truly haunted and terrified Marik not only because of the undeniable truth that surrounded him but the fact that now he was truly alone in a place that he would never be able to escape….Deep down he knew it was because he refused to acknowledge his real feelings and his true self….or at least the other part of him.

Marik began to feel angry, angry at himself for letting things get this way. If he had just been honest with himself then none of this would've ever happened. He wouldn't be trapped and…..His eyes widened as a sudden realization hit him.

What if his dark side decided to kill Bakura? He had sensed the last time he spoke with the demented doppelganger that the man was off kilt and was often very unstable with his anger. What if Bakura was in danger?

_I have to get out of here…._ He thought, his eyes filled with determination as his fists pounded against the wall.

* * *

Seto groaned as he came to, his body felt like a complete and total wreck. He supposed that he should consider himself lucky to even be alive, since he was on the verge of death the last time he was awake.

_Where am I?_

He thought as he sat up slowly, each muscle aching with each movement, making him grit his teeth and wince in pain. Once settled he looked down to find himself covered in bandages, although most of them were healed.

"Someone healed me?" He muttered as he took in the rest of his surroundings. Beside him was a table which held clean clothes. He supposed they were for him since his attire seemed to be in shreds. He slowly moved his arms to pick up the outfit and silently thanking whoever it was that looked after him. He would have to give them his gratitude when he met them. Suddenly, he remembered that Isis had been with him before he collapsed.

_I wonder where she is? How did we…OH right, she used her magic to teleport us. That was a powerful spell; I hope she's in better shape than I am._

He thought as he slowly moved to put on his clothes and hoped that maybe he could hobble his way around to find her. He could sense a strange aura close by and hoped that it wasn't anything that would prove to be dangerous. However, he felt himself hurry in order to make sure that the priestess was alright; After all he owed her his life.

* * *

"How do I get him back?" Bakura seethed.

"The only way to get him back is to get rid of me." He laughed.

"Now, how do I get rid of you? I don't suppose I could just kill you." Bakura wondered bringing his hand to his chin in mock thought.

"No, If you did that you'd kill us both." He smirked. "Though I do like your style Bakura…who knew that underneath all that comfort and kindness, there was a ruthless man hiding. I'm interested to see what kind of person you were with your memories."

"So you know what he knows…." Bakura muttered. "I guess it makes sense, you sharing a body and all."

"Looks like you catch on rather quickly." The blonde mused.

"I also have a feeling that I'm not going to get much information out of you."

"You'd be right again…..You'll have to figure it all out by yourself. I'm just an observer for now. I'll warn you again though….I won't hesitate to kill you if you get in the way of my goals. Of course I'm not going to tell them to you so you'll have to watch your every move." Malik grinned sadistically.

Bakura couldn't help but get a thrill of excitement; he could sense the challenge in Malik's words and for some reason the very fact that his life was held in the balance made it all the more fun sounding. He supposed that this would be the same thrill he would get from stealing. After all he was planning on stealing a victory from this little game.

"Sounds like my kind of game." Bakura smirked as he stood.

Malik stood as well coming to stand in front of him.

Bakura merely laughed as he slung his arm around the blonde's shoulder before whispering.

"Now it's my turn to warn you…..If anything happens to Marik, I'll find a way to kill you without hurting him. Got it?"

Malik merely laughed as he nodded his head in agreement.

"Good. Now that we've got that settled I've got some business to attend to with Isis." Malik stated as he started walking down the hall. "Don't worry I don't plan on killing her…yet." He laughed as Bakura watched him enter the woman's room.

_Now I believe it's time to check on Seto…._

Bakura thought as he made his way down the dimly lit corridor. Things were getting very interesting and it seemed that Marik had another side to him completely. A side that was out of control and a side that Bakura knew he would need help defeating if he was to ever get his Marik back.

_Don't worry Marik. I'll find a way to set you free….Not just from Malik but from this dungeon of a home you insist on living in._

I will win this game….

And with his eyes ablaze with determination, Bakura made his way to Seto's room.

* * *

**Here's Chapter 12 ya'll. :D**

**I hope it's not soo confusing. ^^;**

**Well, Malik has made his entrance. I hope I did alright for his character. (It's hard to get the right amount of coherency and crazy into one package. ^^;)**

**Isis is now the pillow warrior. Bow down to her awesome skills. (She's probably great at slumber parties! LMAO)**

**Malik's all like pffft...nope pillow powers don't work on me. **

**Seto has Awakened. I wonder what he'll think when he sees Malik. hmmm.**

**Meanwhile in Soul Room...Marik wakes up and tries to escape in order to save his man from his other self. (This sounds like a great romance novel idea...it's soo cheesy goodness. Wait a minute...this sounds awfully familiar...idk)**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I know you all were excited to see what evil (or not so evil) Marik was gonna be like and now you know. :D**

**Thanks for reading and I'll catch ya'll on the next chapter!**

**Oh and Don't forget to tell me your thoughts on this chapter in a wonderful little comment down below. Ya'll are just so awesome! *hugs to everyone* Have a super fantabulous day! **


	13. Chapter 13

Seto had been in his own little world as he turned to start to hobble around this place that he had failed to notice the man entering his room and thus bumped into him, nearly knocking him backwards until he was caught by a hand on his wrist and one on his shoulder steadying him.

"That was close…"

Seto could hear the familiarity of the voice and looked up to see that it was indeed the former king of thieves.

"Bakura? What are you doing here?" The brunette blinked a few times in disbelief.

"Well, I live here." He answered before slinging the slightly taller man's arm around his shoulder and slightly dragging him back to the bed, setting him down.

"You need to be more careful, you're still recovering. It took me a while to try to heal you and bandage you up."

"You did this?"

Bakura merely nodded.

"Where's Isis?"

"She's alright, in much better shape than you were in that's for sure. She's just down the hall."

Bakura muttered as he looked up in the man's eyes a seriousness covering his eyes turning them steely gray.

"Seto, what happened to you two? Who did this?"

The question hung in the air a moment as cold blue looked into harsh gray.

Seto sighed, seeing no reason to lie to the white-haired man. At least not anymore…He knew he would need help if he was to ever stop the Pharaoh from harming the people of Egypt. If Atem hadn't of started doing unspeakable crimes against innocent people then he would've most likely allowed Bakura to live without any knowledge of what was going on in hopes that the man would live the rest of his life in peace and unknowing about his horrible past. Now, Seto's only choice was to ask his once best friend for help.

So Seto thinking slightly chose how to word his answer carefully to see if he could gain a reaction from his ashen haired friend. Perhaps if he said key words it would draw out a memory of a sorts.

"Atem." He spoke firmly, his eyes never leaving the red robed thief's.

Bakura looked straight ahead as the name reverberated through his mind. His countenance was one of indifference, However he couldn't help but feel bitter towards the name as he felt his fists clench and his body go rigid with the sound of the familiar name.

"That name…." Bakura muttered as a flash of blonde and purple locks came to his mind along with a boyish face and a brilliant golden crown. The sight made him clench his jaw in anger as his fists remained firmly at his sides.

"Do you recognize it?" Seto asked as he watched the silver-haired man.

Bakura nodded. "He's the Pharaoh, isn't he?"

Seto merely nodded.

"If so then why would he attack his loyal subjects?" Bakura muttered as his mind was filled with questions.

"I went against him because I don't believe that what he's doing is right." Seto replied as he looked downward.

"Seto…" Bakura muttered as he took a seat beside the brunette. "You and I were friends when we were younger weren't we?"

Seto looked up to stare at the ashen haired man. "What?" he gasped in surprise.

"It's true isn't it?" Bakura pressed. "You've been hiding stuff from me….You lied earlier about not knowing anything didn't you?"

Seto stared at the man for a moment before leaning back slightly and grinning.

"You always were a sharp one….Should've known you'd be too stubborn to lose your memories forever." He laughed.

"So you did know? Why would you hide something like that from me?" He hissed slightly.

"Yes…." Seto sighed. "But I did it to help you Bakura."

"Help me?!" Bakura laughed. "Seems like a great job….take someone's past and throw them out to the wolves….Yeah sounds like a fantastic plan to me." He spat sarcastically.

"Bakura, how much do you remember?" Seto spoke suddenly.

Bakura was taken aback at the calm tone at first but then merely shrugged it off.

"Just bits and pieces….mostly stuff from dreams I've been having. That's how I figured out about you." He muttered.

"Each time before I wake up, it's you and me playing or you're looking at me with a horrified look on your face." Bakura mused thinking back to his countless dreams of memories.

"I see…" Seto murmured. "Anyone else?"

"Sometimes I see a man that I call father and there's another." Bakura muttered as he leaned back and whistled.

"Mroew."

The sound brought Seto to lean up to look in the doorway, his eyes widened when they happened upon a small black cat with glowing eyes.

"F-Felix?"

The cat merely nodded as she made her way over to the two men and jumped on the bed sitting between them.

Seto smiled down at the cat as he brought his hand to rest on the kitten's head, petting her. "It's been a long time hasn't it?" He laughed as she pushed her head into his hand.

"So….She's really a part of my memories as well." Bakura grinned. "Interesting, I wonder how Marik could have acquired her?" He thought as he brought a hand to rest on his chin.

Seto's eyes widened at the question. "You mean, Marik had her?"

Bakura nodded in thought. "Yeah, That's how he found me in the dungeon and the reason why he released me."

"I see….So Felix still gets her way huh?"

"Pretty much." Bakura laughed as he ran his fingers over the cat's back and twirling around her tail.

Seto smiled, It had been a long time since he had been able to talk to the thief like this. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened to them and that they had remained friends throughout the years. However the brunette was not so naïve as to think this way or believe it. He knew he needed to ask Bakura for help and now seemed like as a good a time as any.

Seto sighed. "Bakura, I need your help."

Bakura looked over at his friend in mild surprise before releasing a soft laugh.

Seto stared at the man, confused.

"What's so funny?"

"To actually think you'd ask me of all people that….It's quite astonishing that I was also gonna ask you for your assistance."

"You need my help?" Seto asked eyeing the thief suspiciously. "With what?"

Suddenly Bakura turned serious and without any hesitation, he muttered. "With Marik."

* * *

Isis wasn't sure what to make of the situation that she now found herself in. Here she was sitting in bed when right across the room from her sat the darkness of her brother's heart.

"Who did this to you?" Malik asked gently.

"Why do you even care?" she spat.

"I care because Marik does." He stated and gave her a look that told her that it should've been obvious.

"If it makes you feel better, you may call me Malik."

"Alright, Malik." She muttered. "If you must know, I did this to myself."

Malik gave her a confused look, so she continued.

"What happened was only supposed to do damage to Seto. Not me. I ran out in front of him to save him."

"I see….So who was trying his damnedest to hurt our favorite Priest?" He asked musingly. "Not many people could've done that to him….it couldn't have been your righteous Atem now could it?" He said sarcastically as he let out a humorless laugh.

Isis merely nodded.

"Figures….It's not enough to do damage to just his slaves and the dogs of the world like us….He's decided to take it out on his royal council hasn't he?"

"Malik….You know that's not true."

"Oh, yeah…..You've been defending the Pharaoh ever since we were kids….. Even after I got this carved into my back and for what?... Just to hold a secret for him? What's the Pharaoh ever done for me? Why should I spend my life serving a man that doesn't even give a damn? Someone who couldn't possibly understand what it's like to live underneath someone?...To be marked as property and not allowed to see the light of day."

Isis looked over the angered face of the man, who looked so much like her brother as familiar words spewed from his mouth. After his tirade, he breathed heavily as his eyes glared harshly at her as if they could look right through her.

"Malik…" She muttered as she sighed. "You've been through a lot…I understand that."

"You could never understand." Malik muttered as he stood, backing away from her. "You'll never understand what hell I've been through." His jaw clenched as his hands balled into fists. "You can't deny that he nearly killed Seto…..Who's to say that he wasn't going to target you next or any of his other palace workers?"

Isis immediately made a look of guilt cross her features as she looked away from him, the action was not lost upon the dark blonde.

"He's done much worse….hasn't he?" he asked as his mind started to try and figure out exactly why Atem had attacked his right hand man.

"Is that what happened? Seto was forced to go against him is that it?"

Isis merely nodded. "I didn't think that it would turn out this way, I thought he was trying to help save Marik….like he did with Bakura." She muttered softly.

"Help me?..." he whispered as he shook his head in disbelief. "Like how he helped Bakura?..." he scowled as everything started to click.

"You mean…..He's the one responsible for stripping that man of his memories." He glared harshly at her, his teeth set into a grimace. The thought of that alone made Malik angry and thus he spoke much harsher than he had intended.

Isis merely nodded as she looked down before she was jerked upward by the collar of her shirt, forced to gaze into the violent burgundy eyes.

"How do I get them back?"

The question made Isis freeze for a moment from shock before she shook her head.

"I don't know….Atem has them locked away. Why do you care so much?"

Malik sneered as he released the woman as he made his way to leave the room.

"I owe him…..besides, Marik promised to help him get them back. I may be stronger and darker than my weaker self. However, when we make a promise we intend to keep them." He grinned as he started to laugh as he left Isis alone in the suddenly chilly room.

_So Atem, you just keep racking up reasons for why you don't deserve to live. This'll make killing you soo much more fun in the end. I hope you're ready because when I come for you there'll be no mercy._

Malik thought as he made his way back to his room, laying down on the bed as he processed the new information before falling into a dark dreamless sleep.

* * *

Bakura and Seto sighed. They had been talking for what seemed like hours and now they were thoroughly confused as to what problem they would focus on first.

"Is there any way for me to regain my memories?" Bakura suddenly asked looking for a way to change the subject for a second.

"Well, Atem has them locked away, within the Millennium Puzzle."

Bakura looked at him confused for a moment before he shook his head.

"Would you like for me to explain?" Seto asked.

"No, I recognize the name….however I want to focus on Marik first." He muttered. "I owe him for helping me and I don't want him to be lost forever."

"I see…." Seto nodded. "If you want we can focus on figuring out Marik or Malik or whatever his name is first….besides it might be beneficial if we get him to help us against Atem. Regardless of your memories or not….we need to find a way to stop him from hurting more innocent people."

Bakura merely nodded as he got up and started to leave.

"Thanks Seto…." Bakura sighed. "Normally I would've jumped at the chance to regain something of my past….Thanks for understanding and not telling me anything other than confirming what I already knew. I just feel that if I remembered everything now, that I would completely lose focus on what I need to do here."

Seto smiled as he nodded. "That's what friends are for….even if they are a pain in the neck sometimes."

"I know…" Bakura laughed. "It's amazing that I've put up with you long enough to talk."

Seto merely rolled his eyes as he watched the silver-haired thief leave with Felix slowly trailing after him.

* * *

**So here's Chapter 13!**

**This chapter was more of a building plot chapter...**

**So Bakura and Malik know that Atem has his memories...**

**Seto and Bakura have created an alliance of a sorts...**

**Isis and Malik have a quaint little chat...all that was missing was some tea and biscuits. XD**

**So I hope ya'll liked this chapter...Hopefully more exciting things will happen in the next one. (Though I'm not making any promises. T_T It's still in the planning stages at this point. lolz.)**

**Please leave a Review...Tell me if I've done great or failed epically. XD**

**Thanks.**


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